


Mail-order husband

by draqlasdaughter



Category: Bjyx, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) RPF
Genre: Boys In Love, Bozhan, Fluff, Gay Love, Gay Male Character, M/M, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Suspense, XNINE - Freeform, Yizhan - Freeform, unique
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:48:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 27,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28411908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/draqlasdaughter/pseuds/draqlasdaughter
Summary: Xiao Zhan, a Chinese man, living and working in the USA, signs up for a mail-order husband online site, lying about his true gender by hiding behind his female friend's identity, for buying a husband from China.Xiao Zhan's boss asked him one day to make a research, in order to find for him a wife from China. This way the boss' assistant entered some sites about mail-order brides, and only by curiosity, he entered on mail-order husbands, too.He would have never expected for his life to get such an unexpected turn when opened that site Asian Beauties / Meet your soulmate / AsianDate.com / Mail order business...and his eyes landed on a profile: candidate number 13, Wang Yibo.
Relationships: Wang Yibo/ Xiao Zhan - Relationship
Comments: 46
Kudos: 43





	1. 01 Cab ride

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, I'm a beginner on this site, so please tell me through your comments if I'm doing something wrong.  
> I will start posting on AO3 my YiZhan stories that are already on going on my accounts from Wattpad or AFF (Asianfanfics), where I inserted images along the text.  
> Well, let's start it, I hope you will enjoy reading my stories!  
> I'm eagerly waiting for some reactions from you, thank you in advance!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 01

Before actually starting the story, here are a few necessary details about the main characters:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

XIAO ZHAN 

28 years old, born in the USA, in a family of Chinese immigrants, who managed to provide a high education and a good life to their son.  
Zhan is also known by the name of Sean, especially at his working place.  
He works as the main assistant for a wealthy and successful businessman.  
Mister Meng, his boss, appreciates and cares very much about him, he sees Sean not only as a common employee, but mostly as a replacement for his own son who died along with his wife in a plane crash.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WANG YIBO

22 years old, born in a poor countryside family from China.  
When he was only 16, he accidentaly heard how a mobster was offering his father money, in exchange for selling his attractive teenager son to a criminal organization of prostitution. When Yibo saw that his father was being hesitant, he didn't wait to find out his response, but he ran away from home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MENG ZOEY

24 years old, Zhan's best friend, a beautiful and rich heiress of a big cosmetics company, also mister Meng's niece.  
Zhan's boss would have liked for him to marry his niece, but sadly (sadly for mr Meng, though) he learned that Zhan is gay.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, now let's finally start the story! 

"Everything is packed, all the documents have been checked several times already, as to not forget something behind, the luggage is at the door, the plane ticket and the travelling documents are here, in my hand bag...All I have to do now is wait for Zoey to move her lazy ass and pick me up for giving me a ride to the airport.", the young man was mumbling to himself, while checking out his wrist watch.

He took a seat on the couch and opened his laptop.  
This would be, what, his tenth time only for that day, to view and overview that damn profile number 13?

He started yelling into the void:  
"What's wrong with you, Xiao Zhan, put yourself together, you are a brainy man, you graduated from Magna Cum Laude for fuck's sake, why are you acting like a complete moron?  
A 28 years old moron, on top of that!   
An old pervert who's lusting over some stranger's pictures, over a kid. Because that is what he is, just a little kid, look at that small face, look at that delicate skin and...smoothy, juicy lips.  
Stop it, just stop it!" 

The phone buzzing snapped him out from his self-talking. It was Zoey announcing him that her car has died on her, on her way to his place.

"Don't worry Zoey, I said from the very start that I could take a cab, but mister Meng has insisted for you to pick me up, have no idea why, now that he finally gave up on matching us up."

"Why? Because he can't ask the cab driver to report him that you reached safely to the airport, that you departed safely, that you looked rested, so on...that's why he wanted me to pick you up. You know how much jiu Wei (A/n: jiu means uncle, the brother of Zoey's mother) cares about his precious Sean, and how worried he is, everytime is coming to flights.  
Anyway I took a cab, you can come outside, I'm almost there."

Zhan closed the laptop, but not before running one last time his fingertips on the screen, where was being zoomed his favorite picture from the profile number 13: a sleepy boy with pouty lips and disheveled hair...  
"Oh hell, I'm mentally deranged, I might have to get a shrink's appointment, after coming back.", he sighed and tossed the laptop in the bag.

-000-

It was about half of the ride to the airport, when Zoey started to speak in that honey meowed voice that Zhan knew very well. She usually speaks in that voice when she is guilty of something, and wants to charm people to forgive her.

"Okay, Zoey, spill it out, what did you do this time? Do you need my alibi for something, do you need me to call your mom, hurry because we are almost there and I don't want to miss the flight." , Zhan smiled and tapped his best friend's nose.

"Only if you swear you'll not get angry with me.  
You know that I love you, promise that you love me, too, no matter.", she meowed. 

"C'mon Zoey, speak, you're starting to scare me!  
Okay, I love you and forgive you, now tell me!"

"I bought your birthday present, even though your birthday is three months later."

"Oh, is that it, you're afraid I will not like it?  
God, Zoey, you know how to give people heart attacks, you sounded like you did something very bad.  
You know I'm not picky, I like any present, especially that I know it's given with love.", Zhan squeezed her hand, sighing in relief.

"Yes, you're right, it's given with love.  
I love you Sean, and I could bear no more to see you unhappy. You deserve better!  
That's why I bought for you my birthday present.   
I bought for you the profile number 13 guy, happy birthday, a preemptive happy birthday, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY anyway!"

"You did what?", Zhan shouted, earning from the cab driver a suspicious and slightly annoyed glance in the rearview mirror.

"Sean, you don't have to marry him, please don't freak out, just listen to me!  
I thought that it would be such a great opportunity to meet this guy with whom you were obsessing so much, now that you go in Beijing.  
It's true that he lives in Guangzhou, but it's not a big deal to take a flight from Beijing to Guangzhou. I only wanted you to meet this guy, to know him, spend some time with him and have a little fun with your crush.  
Anyway, I have just registered you, not as a buyer, but as an interested customer who would like to meet the applicant number 13 in person, that's it."

"That's it?!  
Zhoey, are you crazy?  
First of all, that guy is a kid, he is only 22, and I am 28!  
Secondly, even if he is just a kid, he could be a delincvent, a robber, a drug addict, a serial killer, or god knows what!"

"Sean, you watched too many movies lately, he is registered on the same site, you have found the wife for jiu, and you said that your research on them, showed you that it's a serious and legal business agency with great reviews. Why would you trust them for that woman, but not for the kid?  
Besides, you are the smartest person I have ever seen, I'm sure you will be able to figure him out, now that you will meet him in person.  
As for the age gap, you shouldn't be worried, just look at you, you are not even 22 yet, not in your look but neither in your spirit, you are a cute teenager."

"Oh, Zoey, you insane woman, explain how could I meet him, if you say you registered me under your name, not as I really thinking about actually meeting him, but I’m just curious about how your twisted mind is working!"

"You know that China doesn't accept homosexuality, so I couldn't register an interested customer of the same gender as the applicant's gender. That's why I gave my own name and other infos they requested.  
But I uploaded your picture, not mine, so he saw you and said he accepts to meet you because he took an instant like on you at the first sight."

"My picture? But how? As you said, same gender customer is not acceptable!"

"Do you remember Yubin's birthday party from last year, when we played that trick on him, and we crossdressed you in a woman? Poor Yubin, he fell in love with you right away he’d seen you, luckily he is secure enough with his hetero sexuality and accepted in the end that you are not a woman, and got over you quickly enough."

"Zoey, cut the blabbering, and tell me what did you do?!", Zhan yelled, wiping his sweaty forehead with the back of his palm.

The girl took out her phone and scrolled down for a certain picture:  
"This is the picture I gave them, it's me and you as a woman.  
When he asked me which one from the two girls is a customer, I asked him which one would he wish for, to be. What do you think was his answer?  
He said both girls are beautiful, but he chose the girl with that adorable lip mole and fascinating eyes, he chose you!"

"Wait, wait, Zoey, he asked, you asked, you chatted directly with him, not with the agent?"

"Yes I chatted with him, not once, but several times, I wanted to be sure he is not who knows what freak, before giving him to you.  
It was hard to always rejecting his requests to see each other on Skype, but I managed to convince him to accept only texts or emails.  
I like him very much, I'm sure you will like him, too."

"Zoey, you can have him, if you like him so much, after all it's you who's registered on there.  
Oh, I get it now, you like this boy, Wang Yibo, and you were worried that I would get upset that you so-called "stole" my weird...   
Zoey, you shouldn't worry, actually I am relieved and happy at the same time that you will help me to cure this sick obsession, because I have really started to get anxious and concerned about my mental well being.  
Thank you Zoey!"

"No, no, Sean! You misunderstood, I said I like him, not for me, but I like him for you!  
I told him that Zoey Meng will travel to China, sent by her boss, and it would be a great opportunity to meet him, without the agency's knowledge, as it would be too complicated.  
Look here, take this bag, there is a notebook inside with his address, phone number, the wig and the skirt."

"Whaaat?!  
Wig?!  
Skirt?!"

"We have arrived!", the cab driver announced, happy that he will finally get rid of the noisiest customers that he has ever had.


	2. 02 First time part 01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit more and 2020 will be over!  
> I want to wish to everyone a better year ahead!  
> A Happy New Year 2021!

Zhan didn't even notice that ten days were already gone since he arrived in China.  
There were ten busy days, but fruitful nevertheless, as he managed to collect lots of information about the mystery woman, Mr Meng's main candidate to become his wife.  
He was just about to call the airport to bookmark a NY flight for the next day, when he had to take another call.  
It was Zoey, of course, again, no surprise there.

"No, Zoey, no, no, how many times should I tell you?  
Yes, I love you too, thank you for thinking about my happiness, and you know that I can't refuse you anything, but not this time.  
It was the most stupid idea you have ever had...Crap, Zoey, stop it, you know that I can't resist when you are crying!  
God dammit, Zoey, you sound like you can't breath, what the hell?  
Go grab a glass of water or something...Alright, alright!  
You won!  
But, no skirt, and that is final!  
I will call back mister Meng to let him know...that I want to visit my parents' hometown and that there will be a delay of two more days...Alright, alright, four days!  
Now go back to sleep, it's midnight in NY.  
Okay, you're right in this, Mr. Meng might be asleep by now, then I count on you to inform him on my behalf, tomorrow morning.  
Good night you annoying gremlin, loads of kisses to you too and don't forget to inform Mr. Meng!"

-000-

"This is it! Too late now, to run away...dammit Zoey, why did I let myself get tricked with your tears?", Zhan mumbled to himself, while fixing the wig on his head one last time, before heading to the airport cafe as they had agreed in the texts previously for this to be their meeting spot.

He hardly muffled the gasp of surprise at the sight of the young man waiting in front of the cafe, holding a huge bouquet of white roses.  
Gasp of surprise, not because he was there, but because the profile number 13 guy was nothing close to the "little kid", he was expecting to see. Yes, his beauty was fresh like only a little kid's could be, but Wang Yibo had nothing to do with the innocence of a little kid, he was rather the definition of sin and sex, a god of sex.  
Slightly shorter than Zhan, yet above average height, with a slender body structure but some appealing, defined muscles which could hinted to be hiding behind the shirt glued to his stomach.   
He just couldn’t take anymore of his small, rounded face, framed by those waxed locks of hair stylishly disheveled...and, uhhh, those soul-penetrating eyes, those half parted, pillowy lips...

The so-called "Miss Meng" tried to compose himself and just nodded shyly, when the young man introduced himself, avoiding to use his non-female voice.   
He had found a good excuse for his lack of talking, by explaining to Wang Yibo in one of the messages that "she" had suffered a recent tonsils extraction and that the doctor had advised her not to talk for two weeks, at least.

Zhan was snapped out of his hypnotic state, by the guy's husky voice...oh, his voice is so...  
"Woah, how can you be such a goddess? You are a thousand times more beautiful than what I’d witnessed in the picture, woah!  
Are you sure you're not lying?", Yibo asked.

Zhan froze on the spot, dropping down the flowers bouquet he was holding in his hand.  
"That's it! Wang Yibo figured out that I'm not a female!", he panicked.

The young man carried on with his question, while picking up the flowers from the ground:  
"Are you sure you're not lying, and you're actually some famous top model, playing a role in a hidden camera show?  
With that flawless and outstanding face of yours, with those endlessly long legs and that tiny waist...And your height...As a man I’m considered tall with my 1.8m height but you are taller than me and you are a woman. By the way, I hope it doesn't bother you that I'm a bit of shorter than you.  
But, allow me to hold the bouquet for you, actually I would have liked to give you only a red rose, but we established the white roses bouquet as an identification sign. And I wanted to help the florist's business by letting him to make the biggest bouquet he knew how.  
Let me to carry the bouquet, and here is one flower for you, the most beautiful rose from the whole bouquet for the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life.", Yibo complimented and then flashed him an ultra blinding smile.

"Oh, besides being handsome he really knows how to be a skillful charmer, even though he is only 22.", Zhan mused, bringing the rose to his nose and thanking him with a soft smile and a small nod.  
Then he had a sudden panic attack, and tried to cover hastily his neck with his free hand:  
"Oh my goodness, how could I have forgotten?  
He will notice!   
Which female owns an adam apple?!!"

"Oh no, are you in pain, can I do something, should I bring you a tea, or water?   
Or I could buy some pain killer pills, I saw a small drugstore behind that corner, I don't really know what would be best for your tonsils surgery.", Yibo had started to freak out with concern.

Zhan muttered that he was not in pain, while taking out the skirt that was forgotten in his bag, and wrapped it around his neck, like a shawl. He then gestured to Yibo that he was fine by giving him a thumbs up.

"I suggest that we should get going, you need to rest, I'm sorry for the surgical intervention that you had to go through, I wish you a fast recovery.  
I know you said in a message that you had booked a hotel room, but I could take care of you more properly than the hotel staff, if you would accept to come to my place. I swear, you can trust me, you will be completely safe with me.", Yibo reassured Zhan. 

Zhan's ingenious brain was screaming loudly in his head:"No, no, don't accept! Tell him to bring you to the hotel room you had booked !"  
But when their eyes locked, his brain was reduced from screeching like a banshee, to an inarticulate whisper.

"Oh miss Meng, you give me breathing problems when you look at me with those mystical eyes of yours.  
Let's go, until I will not faint , I hope you are okay with a motorbike ride, I have no car.  
So, do you accept me to be your host?  
And can I hold your hand?", Yibo murmured almost inaudibly.

"Your eyes are not lesser mystical." , cooed Xiao Zhan in reply, but only in his thoughts.  
Gosh Xiao Zhan, you were never so fu*ked up, this smells like trouble, big big trouble!", Zhan shouted in his mind, trying to steady his wild heart beats, while wrapping his arms tighter around the motorbiker's slender waist, and filling his lungs with the subdued scent of the expensive cologne mixed with his alluring manly body smell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authore note: I didn't give up yet, keep waiting for your comments...


	3. 02 First time part 02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really, really? I'm not gonna get from you any comments?  
> That's making me muse: should I stop or should I keep posting on AO3, too, besides Wattpad & AFF?

"Don't look so worried, ha, ha, we will not share the same bedroom, my apartment has a guest room, too.   
I’m going to be taking the guest room, and I’ll leave the main bedroom for you, as the bed here is much bigger and far more comfortable.  
Alright, I’ll leave, so that you can settle down, the bathroom is there, if you need something, I'll be in the kitchen.", Wang Yibo spoke, smiling gently at his guest.  
The guest, who was currently standing awkwardly in the middle of the bedroom, scared half to death about the mess that he gotten himself involved in.

Ten minutes later, Zhan was still rooted in the same spot, not knowing what to do next.  
He then finally decided to go to the bathroom but halted upon hearing his host's voice coming from the room right next to the bedroom, probably the living room.  
He was talking on the phone:  
"Yes, I understand, and thank you, but I can't.  
I'm not available for this week. Yes, for the whole week, sorry.  
No, no, it's not you, I am just busy with something.   
Something private.  
Alright, I can do that. No, wait in the car, I will come outside."

Yibo then knocked gently on the bedroom door:  
"I will be out for a few seconds, don't open the main door for anyone, I will lock it, just to be sure.” Zhan then heard the front door being shut.

He then quickly ran into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar so that he could hear when Yibo would be back, and then furiously checked his phone list for Zoey's number.  
"Now's the right moment to vent my anger on you Zoey, you deserve it! Just wait for me to get home, dammit!  
Oh, my head is on fire, I hate this wig!", he growled, throwing the wig onto the ground and running a towel into his sweaty hair, while waiting impatiently for her to answer the call.

He was so angry that not even her crying affected him, this time.  
He had lost track of time while yelling at her, demanding her to call Wang Yibo and tell him… he wasn’t even sure... Well, just tell him it was a prank or something, anything!  
"I don't know Zoey, and don't even care, it's not me who created this mess, it's true that I have my own part of guilt for agreeing to your bullshit, but it's still your own creation!  
Solve it or I'll kill you when..."

...

After screeching those last words, all what Zhan knew and felt was a sharp pain, like a blade slicing through his nape before he was knocked out flat on the ground.

"Who the fu*k are you?  
And where is miss Meng, what did you do to her?", Wang Yibo yelled , shaking the knocked out man, even though he knew he’ll remain unconscious for at least ten minutes, more.

He then picked up the phone from the sink, where it had fallen from the criminal's hand, and listened to the female voice that kept yelling: "Sean, Sean! Are you still there? Please, Sean, don't be angry with me, please, you know I love you! I will solve the problem, just don't kill me!"

Who the hell is this Sean, and why does he want to kill this woman?", Yibo contemplated.  
"And the most important question, why is this Sean in my bathroom?  
Oh, hell, not another jealous husband!"

He then decided that he will talk with the woman from the phone, and will get the answers, but not before making sure that the so called "husband" will not get violent when he came back to his senses.  
Therefore he held the phone between his cheek and shoulder, while dragging the inert body to the bedroom.  
He managed to drag him onto the bed and made use of the bondage sex toys that a friend had gifted him for his birthday as a joke. He noted in his mind to thank that friend, because now these furry handcuffs were perfect to tie the criminal's hands together to the headboard of the bed, and the pink ropes were perfect for tying his spread legs from the bedstead.

-000-

"So, so beautiful", Zhan flinched at a soft whisper, probably dreaming.

"I can't move, I can't even open my eyes, what a hell is happening?  
Did I get the flu? Did I get drunk and pass out? I don’t really remember", Zhan thought to himself, while trying to move his hand in order to touch his head, which was currently pounding in pain.  
But his hands were somewhat paralyzed, the same as his legs...What the hell, he will be late to the office, and mister Meng will get worried again…  
Wait, mister Meng, mail-order wife!   
China!   
Wang Yibo!

Zhan tried to get up, but he noted again that he couldn't move at all.  
A loud gasp escaped from his lips when he opened his eyes and his sight came into contact with a face he knew too well.   
Wang Yibo's eyes were only a few inches away from his, he was taking in every inch and every centimeter of Zhan's face while running a fingertip over his lip mole.

"Oh my god, what are you...", he freaked out, forgetting for a moment that he shouldn't speak, especially not in his manly voice.  
He pretended to cough, then tried to speak on high pitched voice, to sound more feminine, forgetting again that he was not wearing anymore the wig:  
"What did you do to me, did you drug me, why I can't move?  
Please, don't hurt me, I'll give you all the money I have, I knew it was a bad idea to meet without the agency's knowledge!"

"Nobody will hurt you.  
You can't move, because you are tied up...No, no, don't panic, I will explain to you why I tied you up, but only after you would calm down.   
I didn't untied you yet, because I didn't want to get kicked or punched, before you would find out and understand the whole picture of what has happened here.", Wang Yibo said, shifting away but locking his eyes with his, while continuing to speak.

"I promise I will not hit you or anything, just untie me please, my arms are aching.", Zhan begged, in the same high pitched, ridiculous voice, not figuring out yet that he had no wig.

"What a hell is this, some kink of yours?", he widened his eyes at the pink furry handcuffs clawing his wrists against the mirror bed headboard.

The young man untied his legs first, then his hands, while talking:  
"Oh, before starting the telling, you should know that you must stop forcing your voice in that ridiculous tone, it's bad for your tonsils, ha, ha, ha!  
Now, on the serious side, stop pretending like you are being a female.  
You are more beautiful as a man, actually, just saying."

"Whaaat?", Zhan shouted in shock.

"Miss Meng told me the whole truth."

"And you are okay with it?  
Errm, actually it's not what it seems to be."

"Don't feel embarrassed, please, I fully understand why you accepted to do it.  
Can we postpone the explanations for later, I don't think I can resist anymore.  
Let's go to sleep now."

"Whaaat?!  
You want me to sleep with you?", Zhan screamed, jumping up from the bed, but wobbling onto his legs.

"Why not?  
We are both men, and I told you that this bed is much more comfortable than the one from the guest room, and it's big enough for both of us.  
Come back in bed, you are still dizzy and your head will ache for an hour more, at least.  
Sorry for hitting you, but you can't blame me.  
I left the house with miss Meng in it and when I came back I heard a manly voice coming from my bathroom, a man threatening the woman from the phone that he will kill her.  
Why are you still standing there?  
Alright, I will tell you now, then promise me, we'll go to sleep. I'm awfully tired, I didn't get to sleep for 48 hours already.  
I just need at least an hour or two of sleep, and I will be like a new after that."

"Oh, that kind of sleep.  
Alright then, let's sleep, and we will speak more after waking up.   
But, wait, I can't sleep without knowing what did Zoey tell you, what was the reason for which I pretended to be a female?"

"Miss Meng has explained to me that everything started from that small first lie. She probably felt offended when I said that I would like for the girl with the lip mole to be my hypothetical wife buyer, so she lied that it was you the buyer.   
She also explained to me everything about the prank you played on your friend by pretending to be a woman.   
Anyway, miss Meng praised you to me, about how great of a friend you are to her for accepting her plan of investigating me if I am worth to be her husband or not.  
I envy her, I would like to have friends like you are to her.  
You are awesome, and I'd like you to be my friend, too.  
Now, please come to bed, my eyes are closing by themselves."

"May I?"

"Huh?"

"Would you mind if I’d cuddle you?"


	4. 03 Investigate me!

Yibo flinched at the annoying phone buzz.  
When he tried to reach out for the noisy device that was resting on the nightstand, he noted in shock that he couldn't move his hand, as it was trapped between the pillow and the...huh? His wide open eyes were welcomed by a sleeping figure, whose velvety cheek was nesting into his palm.  
Yibo's foggy mind started to clear up and fill with the memories of that day's events, or was it yesterday already, for how long did he sleep?  
He extracted carefully his hand and hurried to press off the phone. 

"How old are you? You can't be a teenager, even though you look like one.",Yibo murmured, staring in fascination at the sleeping person, from next to him.

"Miss Meng said she is 24, but this boy looks younger than her, he could be 22, my age...Might be our close age, the reason why I have this weird feeling that we were destined to meet each other...or maybe it's just because I didn't sleep for so many hours in a row and my brain doesn't function normally.  
Hmm, I'm not even sure that your name is Sean, I might have heard wrongly, but one thing I know for sure, you are the most beautiful human being I have ever seen.", he whispered, removing a rebel strand of hair plastered to the boy's forehead.  
Then he climbed down the bed, and glanced one last time at the stranger sleeping in his bed, before grabbing the phone and heading to the living room. 

  
  
  
  


Zhan looked up, the sky was so blue and clear that it almost blinded him. He shut tightly his eyes, and just let himself carried by senses. Senses that got elevated to the highest alert, when a soft hand with slender fingers, cupped his cheek, and, and...The hot air breeze ghosting his half opened lips was burning his soul...He tightened his eyes even more, and pursed his lips, waiting, waiting...But the desired lips on his, never came...  
When he opened his eyes, Wang Yibo's hand was still cupping his cheek, but his face was turned away from his. He was looking at someone who was running towards them, guilt and shame flickering in his hot-chocolate colored eyes.

The running person was no other but Zoey Meng, who started to hit Yibo and Zhan, screaming like crazy: "Cheaters! Cheaters! I'd trusted you, Sean!"  
When Zhan opened his eyes, his arms were still flying in all directions, trying to protect himself from Zoey's slaps...  
"Thanks God it was only a dream.", Zhan whispered, but why the hell was he still feeling guilty?   
It's not like he was cheating on his best friend.  
It's not like he was desiring for real to be kissed by Wang Yibo's lips.   
It was just a common dream, like any other random dream!  
He needed a shower nevertheless, a cold one!

-000-

"Good morning, Sean, did you sleep well?  
Or Sean it's not your name...  
The coffee is over there, the breakfast will be ready in a minute, you must be hungry like a wolf as I forced you to go to sleep on an empty stomach, sorry for that.  
I didn't know how you like your coffee, I like mine black and sugar free.   
If you like it sweet, the sugar is on the table and there is milk in the fridge if you want some.  
Take a seat and make yourself at home.", Yibo smiled dazzlingly at Zhan, before going back to the pan from the stove.  
He was wearing a white bathrobe, similar with the one Zhan was wearing, and his hair was so sexy like that, wet and unruly, Zhan couldn't refrain from noticing.

"You shouldn't be the one to say sorry, but me.  
Allow me to apologize for...for everything.  
I'm really sorry for lying to you, for deceiving you, for invading your home, for taking your bed, for, for, using your shower and stealing from your shampoo and shower gel, but the bathrobe is mine. I'm sorry for, for...", Zhan's words were running on high speed like a broken CD, between short inhales and exhales.

Yibo shut off the stove and turned around. He cupped Zhan's shoulders and started laughing:  
"Oh my goodness, hahaha, I'm glad that you really know how to talk, I disliked when I had to talk by myself with the mute girl bc of her tonsils surgery, hahaha."

"I'm sorry for...", Zhan tried to speak, but Yibo pinched his lips together between his fingertips, giving Zhan chills along his spine.

"Stop saying sorry, I said I like you to talk, but not to appologize.  
Didn't I tell you before, that I understand and appreciate what you did for your friend?  
The breakfast is ready, but before eating I want something.  
We should start all over and introduce properly to each other.  
Hello, my name is Wang Yibo, I'm 22, what's yours, and how old are you? I'm really curious about that.", he gripped Zhan's slightly trembling hand in a tight handshake.

"Sorry for...no, not sorry...Hello, my name is Xiao Zhan and I am 28, nice to meet you mister Wang.", Zhan replied in shaky voice, the burnt from their linked hands rising to his vocal cords and strangling them.

"No way!   
28?   
You're kidding right?  
So I was wrong that the close age might be the reason of that weird feeling, ermm nevermind...  
Anyway, call me Yibo, or Bo, don't call me mister Wang, it sounds out of place, not only because I'm younger than you, but because I feel there is a bond between us, couldn't say why.  
Nice to meet you and to have you in my house, Zhan, if you allow me to call you like that.  
Now let's drink that coffee if it's not cold already."

During the coffee and breakfast they talked about this and that, laughing a lot like they were two old buddies who had met finally after being apart for awhile.

"So, did you travel to China only for investigating me?  
Let's make a plan for today, I could show you some nice places here.  
Did you take a leave from your job, and for how long can you stay in China?", Yibo asked, standing up and putting the dishes in the sink.

"Let me take care of the dishes, at least I can do, thank you for the breakfast, it was delicious, you are a great cook.  
Actually, I am in China work related. I have something to do for Zoey, too, as an additional task to my job, taking advantage that I had to come to China. I can stay for four more days.", Zhan explained, pushing Yibo aside from the sink, and starting to wash a coffee cup.

"Four days to know things about me, that should be a pretty intense work to do for knowing me in such a short time. Hahaha, so investigating me is that additional task you were talking about. Actually I'm thankful to miss Meng, because giving you that task she gave me the opportunity to meet you.  
You seem to be such an awesome guy, I like you very much.  
Can I have a selca with you?", Yibo smiled, cupping his shoulders and turning him around from the sink.

Zhan would have liked to reply, but his voice was nowhere to be found. So he just nodded, praying in his mind for his crazily loud heart beats to not be heard by Wang Yibo, who was just removing the bathrobe hood from his head, with their faces too close, too damn close to each other, ufff!

"Wait, I want a selca on my phone, too.", he finally was able to find his voice, and escape from that dangerous proximity, running away to the bedroom for fetching his phone.

"Please smile, your smile is extraordinary, I've never seen a smile so intoxicating, it's just made for the camera." , Yibo whispered, standing behind Zhan...too close, yet again...and snapping few pictures with both of their phones.

Why did Yibo need to plaster his front against Zhan's back, when taking the selcas?  
Why did he need to wrap an arm around Zhan's chest and rise up the hair on Zhan's nape with his too close burning breathing?

"As we only have four days, my suggestion is that you should start right away your investigation!  
Let's get dressed and go outside, seems like it will be a sunny day, we could take the motorbike. There are hundreds of tourist attractions in Guangzhou, just let me know if you have something special in plan to see.  
I will let you to get prepared, just allow me to take some clothes from the closet, that is in the bedroom.", Yibo smiled, leading his guest to the bedroom.

"Just take your time, no need to hurry, I will wait for you in the kitchen, I forgot to give you from the home made cake I prepared myself for miss Meng, hahaha.  
Stop it Zhan, don't you dare saying again I'm sorry!  
Okay, I'm leaving now, waiting for you at the cake dating, hahaha!", Yibo laughed, extremely amused at the other's cute flushed cheeks.

While Yibo was taking the clothes from the closet, Zhan made himself busy with rummaging through his luggage. At some point his attention was caught by something that got him very curious.  
Curious to the point of intruding in a stranger's privacy.  
Therefore he went against his usual common sense, and opened the closet, carefully to not make any sound.  
He noticed that while Yibo was looking for the clothes, he took a blue box resting on an empty shelf and hid it behind a pile of winter clothes, probably getting sure that nobody would look on there now in the middle of summer.   
That got Zhan extremely curious, so he took out the box, and opened it.

"Oh my god!   
What a?", he screamed, forgetting to lower his voice.

"Something wrong?", Yibo shouted from the other bathroom or from the guest room, maybe.

"No worry, nothing, just I forgot to call my boss for something.", Zhan shouted back, hiding quickly the box in his bathrobe, snatching his phone and locking himself in the bathroom.

He opened the shower to make a background noise and called his boss:  
"Hello, mister Meng? I might remain in China for more days than I have planned, as I might have found new information about your mail-order wife.   
No, I know nothing yet, but I found by accident a picture and, but I know nothing, just…I need to investigate. Alright mister Meng, I must go now, I will keep you updated with anything I will find new, have a nice day sir!" 

  
  
  
  


After awhile they were both sitting at the kitchen table, eating the cake in silence.  
Zhan was determined to put his everything, his intelligence, his skills, even his beauty if necessary, at work, and determine this kid, a sexy kid it's true, but still a kid, to tell him all of his secrets.  
And the most urgent thing to be found out was, why would an only 22 years old want to get married, and not any kind of married, but a put on selling married?

"What? You are really intimidating me when looking at me like that.", Yibo swallowed audibly the piece of cake.

"Nothing, I just admire a beautiful work of art, Zoey will be so whipped when she will meet you in person.  
You are a very handsome man, no doubt, but I must know other sides of you.  
I have so many questions to ask you, will you answer them honestly?", Zhan flashed his famous smile, laying sensually his head onto the forearm.

"Yes, as I said, you have my permission to investigate me.  
Actually we should investigate each other, I'm curious about you, too, you know?  
I suggest a pact between us.  
We are right to three questions on each, every day, and promise to answer honestly on all.  
That way, maybe you will stay in China for more than four days.  
So, are you in?", he stood up and reached out a hand, winking at Zhan in a too flirting way, for a soon to be married man. Married to a woman, by the way!

_"What a hell, this is my game, my strategy, not his!_ ", Zhan thought to himself, while shaking hands with the kid, who seemed to be not so kid after all.  
“Three are not enough, let’s answer five questions every day!”, he said aloud.

“My final offer, four questions a day, but to one of them we are allowed to lie the answer if we feel like it. And it’s up to the other to guess which one was the lying answer!”, Yibo winked again, accelerating Zhan’s heart beats.  
God dammit, the kid is something else!


	5. 04 Dinner / part01

They visited so many places and had so much fun, that they didn't even notice the sun hiding slowly behind the darkened clouds.

Zhan stopped Yibo from heading to the parking lot where they left the motorcycle:   
"Wait!   
Wow, I can't believe that it's already 7PM.   
Aren't you hungry? Because I want to treat you with a thank you dinner.  
Look, that restaurant over there, looks pretty inviting!"

"For what do you want to thank me?  
You didn't let me to pay anything for you, not even for a museum ticket.  
But you're right, we should have dinner before going home, I suppose you have had enough from my cooking...shh, don't start with your sorries again, awww you're such a cutie pie, I was just kidding!", Yibo cooed in baby voice, pursing his lips in attend to imitate Zhan's adorable pout, while pressing a finger over his pouty lips.  
"But let's be honest, my food is the most delicious you have ever tasted, and I am the best chef you have ever met! A logical conclusion would be that I am the most delicious chef...kidding, again.   
Hmmm, you are even more beautiful when you're flustered, if that could even be possible, hahaha.  
I'm simply amazed with your foxy, sinful eyes when getting all innocent and shy, and you smile so sweetly, and these rosy, flawless cheeks of yours...uff!", Yibo pinched both cheeks of the speechless and overly shocked Xiao Zhan.

Zhan started to rub his cheeks, trying to hide behind his palms, and behind the widest smile, the embarrassment, consternation, delight, panic, glee, whatever was that mix of feelings triggered by Yibo's choice of words and acts:  
"Auch, that hurt!  
You're joking right? Or you are just laughing at me?  
I'm not a cutie pie!  
How could a kid like you, call his 28 years old Gege, a cutie pie?"

"28? No, I think you lie, I think you are not even 22 like I am.   
Or if you don't lie, that means that you are a 28 years old cutie pie, but still a cutie pie, nevertheless.  
I wonder about the teenager or the baby Xiao Zhan, if the 28 yourself is such a cute, adorable kitty. You radiate authentic beauty, innocence, warmth, honesty, nothing is fake in you.What I hate the most at people is fakeness, not only in look, but in heart, too, I hate fake people and I hate liars.   
No, no, don't get pouty, I've already told you that what you did for miss Meng, it was not a lie, but a noble gesture for helping your friend. Besides other qualities you have, you are an amazing friend, too.  
Okay, ahem...let's check out that restaurant, my stomach started to growl actually.", Yibo beamed, grabbing casually Zhan's wrist, for crossing the street, towards the said restaurant.  
"But meantime, ermm, I wanted to ask you a question since quite a while. You can take it as one of my four questions for today."

"Okay, shoot, a deal is a deal!", Zhan replied with his heartbeats close to breaking his ribcage.

"I remind you that you promised to answer honestly. Well, I want to know what is your real relationship with miss Meng?   
I heard her clearly telling you that she loves you. Not that I'd blame her, though, just that I'd like to know the truth.", Yibo whispered so softly that Zhan was not even sure that he understood correctly the question.

Yet, Zhan has actually understood perfectly well, and no matter how much of disappointed he felt, he replied in same whispered voice:  
"Oh, so that's why...You shouldn't get jealous or worried. Zoey is my best friend, of course she loves me, and I love her back, but as I said, don't worry, it's a siblings-like love between us.  
Besides, we couldn't love each other in other ways than that anyway, because I am...Actually even before my parents, she was the first to know that I...achoo, achoo, atishoo!", Zhan broke in a sudden, long string of sneezes, for covering the huge mistake he has almost committed...

Dang! What's wrong with him, what a hell did he almost spill out from his "brainless" mouth?

"Oh, damn, indeed I did say that it will be a sunny day, but I also told you to put a thick sweater in your backpack.  
Maybe we should have taken a cab!   
Now look at you, you have probably caught a cold while riding the motorcycle!", Yibo got extremely agitated. 

They have finally arrived at the restaurant.   
With a bit of luck, maybe Wang Yibo will forget about his question, and especially about Zhan's unfinished answer.  
  
"Calm down Bo-di, it was just a sneeze, I didn't catch any cold.", Zhan murmured, removing gently Yibo's disturbing hands that were keep rubbing his arms up and down for warming him up.  
"Woah, I'm surprised they allowed us to enter, dressed in such inappropriate clothes for this luxury." 

"Bo-di? I like it, I don't remember anyone calling me so.  
I will call you Zhan-ge, then, if it's alright with you.  
It's great that it's warm in here, we should order a hot soup, too, it will be good to your cold.", Yibo smiled, plastering a heated palm onto his lower back and leading him to a sort of a private booth. 

Inside the booth was a table of two with a vase of fresh roses and scented candles on it, it was like prepared for a romantic dating dinner...Why were they led on here, anyway?  
Weird! Zhan heard Yibo when asking at the restaurant reception for a table of two, nothing more. So, why were they even leaded to that date booth?

"Hmm, you seem familiar with this place, maybe that's why they didn't have anything to say against our outfit, and that's why they gave you this private booth?  
I also noticed that the waitress who led us, smiled and greeted you like she would know you very close, did you work here or maybe she's your ex? She's pretty.  
Actually, one of my four questions would be, what do you do for living? But that would be the second question, first I'd like to know, why do you want to marry at this young age?", Zhan hurried to hide his sudden spurt of jealousy by distracting the other's attention with some uncomfortable questions...All of this, while taking a seat in the chair pulled for him by Yibo, like a gentleman pulling the chair for his lady.   
"And no need to treat me like I am a princess, remember that I'm Zhan-ge, a man, not miss Meng, hahaha."

"Jeez, your laughter...it's no less intoxicating than your smile.  
We will answer all the questions, but let's order first.  
But I'll give you the answers to the questions unrelated to our deal.  
Yes, the waitress is pretty, but no, she is not my ex. You were pouting at me calling you a cutie pie, but how could I not, when you sounded like a cute jealous boyfriend, jealous with my ex.  
And yes, I'm familiar with this place, it's not my first time coming here.", Yibo smiled, handing him one of the menus brought by the friendly, pretty waitress, and accelerating Zhan's heartbeats again with his wording and his sunshine smile.

"You do enjoy to be a charmer, don't you?", Zhan spoke from behind the menu, where he hid his flushed face.

Yibo sipped from the glass of water and winked at his table mate:  
"To be a charmer it's a must be for my job actually, but with you I don't try to be a charmer, I only speak off my mind, I only tell the truth.  
Now seriously, Zhan-ge, everything about you it's fascinating me.  
You leave me in awe every time I look at you.  
I'm very envious with your extraordinary beauty.  
It's very hard to believe you that miss Meng didn't fall in love with you."

"What are you talking about?   
You are no less handsome than me, you have such a small face, so sexy eyes and appealing lips! To be honest, I'd wish to have a face small like yours, I feel like by only looking at you, my own face gets smaller, hahaha.  
Never doubt that Zoey might not falling in love with you, of course that not with me! Stop getting worried about her feelings for me!", Zhan assured Yibo.  
  
"Oh, by the way, until the food will come, you can finish telling me why should I believe you, that you and miss Meng can't be in a love relationship. I remember you saying that she was the first to know...what?   
What did miss Meng know, even before your parents?  
I can guess what, though.   
That you have someone you like, or even love, am I right?", Yibo leant over the table to look deeper into Zhan's eyes, like expecting to find on there all of his secrets.

"Yes, I suppose you guessed it right.", Zhan murmured, leaning back into the chair and avoiding his penetrating stare.

The waitress entered with the food and the wine, interrupting their conversation.

"Wine?  
Aren't you supposed to be sober for riding the motorcycle?", Zhan widened his eyes at the two bottles of wine from the ice bucket resting on the small guerdon next to the table.

"The motorbike will be safe in the restaurant's parking lot until tomorrow, and we can take a cab.  
I'm not surprised, though.", Yibo smiled...bitterly, even with a slight anger in his tone...But maybe it was just Zhan's overthinking.

"You are not surprised? About what?", Zhan asked, picking up a piece of tofu with his chopsticks.

"I'm not surprised that such a handsome, such a beautiful man like you are, to not be single.   
Is she a beauty queen, a Miss World, a Miss Universe, is she a goddess maybe, that she managed to steal your heart?", Yibo rose his voice.

_"What a, why does he yell? He didn't drink not even half from the glass of wine yet, he can't be drunk already, no matter how low is his alcohol tolerance"_ , Zhan mused, then excused himself to go to the restroom.  
He needed time, for making a plan of how to answer further, to the troublesome questions about to come.

After locking himself in a cubicle, he called his best friend, maybe she would give him some good advice, or if not, she is a good listener nevertheless.

Zoey:"Why don't you tell him the truth? Simple as that!"

Zhan:"Are you crazy?   
Should I just go back and be like: Oh, hello, Wang Yibo, let's start over, I am Xiao Zhan, the biggest liar on earth! Let's see!  
I lied by pretending to be Zoey Meng.  
I lied that she likes you and wants to marry you, well, actually, she was the one who lied to you, but I let you believe the lie, and a lie by omission is still a lie.  
I lied by hiding away from you my sick obsession with you.  
I lied, by not telling you that the person I like it's you, I hid that I like you even more, now after knowing you in person!  
Zoey, if this is the great advice you can help me with, then I'm just hopelessly finished.  
Oh, did you know that he hates liars?  
I must tell you once again, that this was the most terrible idea you have ever had, but anyway, now it's too late.  
I will go back and answer those scary questions, as honestly as I'll be able to, except how I feel for him."  
  
At the time he was walking through the hall where the restroom was located, an uproar increasingly louder, coming from the direction of their booth, reached his ears.  
He hurried, almost running, and when he entered the booth, he was welcomed with the most shocking sight.

~TO BE CONTINUED~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A sneak peek to the next update:
> 
> A massive man was holding Yibo tightly in his grip, while a woman was slapping him, screaming at him:  
> "So, that's why you canceled the dinner with me!  
> Tell me, who is she?   
> slap  
> What's her name?   
> slap  
> Where is she hiding now?  
> slap  
> Is she richer than me, does she pay you better than me?  
> slap, slap  
> Tell me how much does she pay you, and I will give you double!  
> slap  
> You bastard!"
> 
> But when the next slap was about to land on Yibo's cheek, Zhan couldn't take it anymore!  
> He grabbed the woman's arm, and pulled her aside:  
> "Lady, calm down, leave him alone!  
> He is not with any woman on here.  
> He just takes dinner with a friend, with me!"
> 
> "A friend?  
> Hahaha, you make me laugh, Wang Yibo has no friends, he is not interested in such trivial things like friendship!  
> All he cares about is the customer's money, don't you Yibo babe?  
> But, wait, don't tell me Wang Yibo, that your hunger for money pushed you to take male clients too, ewww!", the woman looking in her forties or so, feigned a vomiting act.
> 
> "Liu, stop it, for fuck' sake!  
> You need a medical help!  
> Let me free!", Yibo, yelled, writhing in the man's grip, who was probably the woman's bodyguard.
> 
> "Liu? I am missis Yang for you, when we don't fu*k!  
> I will release you, only if you will tell me, is it true that you didn't ditch me for another female client, is it true that now you fu* k men, too?  
> And I promise that my guard will let you free."
> 
> "Yes, it's true that I'm not with any woman on here.   
> I'm having dinner with him.", Yibo squirmed more.
> 
> "And who might be him?  
> Don't give me that 'friend' bullshit, because I don't believe you, and if I'll conclude that you're lying, you will be drastically punished!  
> You know very well that nobody will protect you, the restaurant owner owes me big, and the employees will be mute like fish if the police will be involved.  
> So, who is he, a client?  
> Oh, wait, maybe he is a newbie who wants to learn some tricks from you.  
> To be honest, he is good looking, I wouldn't mind to...", the woman cooed, running her long red nails across Zhan's neck.  
> Zhan was held now, by another guard who appeared out of nowhere.
> 
> "Leave him alone!   
> Don't fuc*ing touch him!  
> You can slap me more if that would calm you down, you sick demented woman!", Yibo screamed.
> 
> "Oh, so you want to be slapped?  
> No, babe, no slaps, I promised you so many times that I will cut your nuts if you will ever try to run away from me.  
> And if you care about your nuts, tell me right away, who is he?", the woman screamed, punching Yibo onto his stomach.
> 
> "He is, he is...my boyfriend.", Yibo managed to answer, through gritted teeth, shocking Zhan even more than the crazy woman, whose eyeballs were ready to pop out from her head.
> 
> "Boyfriend?  
> So, you're gay now?  
> I don't believe you, unless you show me.  
> Release them!", Yang Liu, commanded to her watch dogs, in a finally more normal voice, than the previous screams. 
> 
> "Show you?  
> What do you mean, to show you?  
> Zhan-ge, are you alright, are you hurt?", Yibo hurried to pull the scared man into his arms, and away from the guard's proximity.
> 
> The insane woman propped herself in front of the embraced men and spat her words in their faces:  
> "I want to see you two french-kissing if you say he is your boyfriend. I know that rule of yours, to never use your tongue when kissing a customer's lips.  
> It would be so pity if it would be true that you're gay, you could have been mine forever, I would have made you my secret prince, I would have give you lots of money and lots of...  
> But gay? That's disgusting, I'm sorry, but I wouldn't bear to know that your d!ck is dirty like that!  
> Now kiss!"


	6. 04 Dinner / part02~completed~

A massive man was holding Yibo tightly in his grip, while a woman was slapping him, screaming at him:  
"So, that's why you canceled the dinner with me!  
Tell me, who is she?   
slap  
What's her name?   
slap  
Where is she hiding now?  
slap  
Is she richer than me, does she pay you better than me?  
slap, slap  
Tell me how much does she pay you, and I will give you double!  
slap  
You bastard!"

But when the next slap was about to land on Yibo's cheek, Zhan couldn't take it anymore!  
He grabbed the woman's arm, and pulled her aside:  
"Lady, calm down, leave him alone!  
He is not with any woman on here.  
He just takes dinner with a friend, with me!"

"A friend?  
Hahaha, you make me laugh, Wang Yibo has no friends, he is not interested in such trivial things like friendship!  
All he cares about is the customer's money, don't you Yibo babe?  
But, wait, don't tell me Wang Yibo, that your hunger for money pushed you to take male clients too, ewww!", the woman looking in her forties or so, feigned a vomiting act.

"Liu, stop it, for fuck' sake!  
You need a medical help!  
Let me free!", Yibo, yelled, writhing in the man's grip, who was probably the woman's bodyguard.

"Liu? I am missis Yang for you, when we don't fu*k!  
I will release you, only if you will tell me, is it true that you didn't ditch me for another female client, is it true that now you fu* k men, too?  
And I promise that my guard will let you free."

"Yes, it's true that I'm not with any woman on here.   
I'm having dinner with him.", Yibo squirmed more.

"And who might be him?  
Don't give me that 'friend' bullshit, because I don't believe you, and if I'll conclude that you're lying, you will be drastically punished!  
You know very well that nobody will protect you, the restaurant owner owes me big, and the employees will be mute like fish if the police will be involved.  
So, who is he, a client?  
Oh, wait, maybe he is a newbie who wants to learn some tricks from you.  
To be honest, he is good looking, I wouldn't mind to...", the woman cooed, running her long red nails across Zhan's neck.  
Zhan was held now, by another guard who appeared out of nowhere.

"Leave him alone!   
Don't fuc*ing touch him!  
You can slap me more if that would calm you down, you sick demented woman!", Yibo screamed.

"Oh, so you want to be slapped?  
No, babe, no slaps, I promised you so many times that I will cut your nuts if you will ever try to run away from me.  
And if you care about your nuts, tell me right away, who is he?", the woman screamed, punching Yibo onto his stomach.

"He is, he is...my boyfriend.", Yibo managed to answer, through gritted teeth, shocking Zhan even more than the crazy woman, whose eyeballs were ready to pop out from her head.

"Boyfriend?  
So, you're gay now?  
I don't believe you, unless you show me.  
Release them!", Yang Liu, commanded to her watch dogs, in a finally more normal voice, than the previous screams. 

"Show you?  
What do you mean, to show you?  
Zhan-ge, are you alright, are you hurt?", Yibo hurried to pull the scared man into his arms, and away from the guard's proximity.

The insane woman propped herself in front of the embraced men and spat her words in their faces:  
"I want to see you two french-kissing if you say he is your boyfriend. I know that rule of yours, to never use your tongue when kissing a customer's lips.  
It would be so pity if it would be true that you're gay, you could have been mine forever, I would have made you my secret prince, I would have give you lots of money and lots of...  
But gay? That's disgusting, I'm sorry, but I wouldn't bear to know that your d!ck is dirty like that!  
Now kiss!"

-000-

~Xiao Zhan's POV~

It was a totally unexpected move from the crazy woman, even to her bodyguards, when she grabbed me by my hair and hit me hard in my cheek with that big ceramic ashtray!

It took me my whole strength, her bodyguards' strength too, to hold Yibo from strangling her, right there and right then:  
"Please, Bo-di, let it go, let's just leave! It's not such a big deal, it's just a minor scratch, I'm not gonna die!   
Release her, she is just an ill human being, you said it yourself that she needs medical help....please, let's just go home!"

When Yibo had finally unclenched his fingers from around the woman's throat, she collapsed unconscious into one of her guards's arms.   
I waited for few more seconds to make sure that she was still breathing, then I grabbed Yibo's shaking hand and managed to drag him out of there, taking advantage of that the two men didn't try on stopping us.

We reached the main door, where few employees of the restaurant started to apologize to us. They explained, mostly to me, that they had already called for an ambulance for the poor sick lady, but they couldn't call the police, too...because the restaurant's owner was very close to the lady's deceased mother and they feared for their jobs. And another reason why they didn't call the police was one I didn't understand at that moment, they didn't want to create any problems to mister Wang Yibo.

When we were already outside, that nice and pretty waitress ran after us, and handed me a clean napkin, keep apologizing. It was only then that I noticed the bleeding injuries from my cheekbone and the corner of my mouth.   
As Yibo was still in a "non-reactive" state, I asked the waitress to call for a cab, and to check on the motorcycle from time to time, until tomorrow morning.

" To the nearest hospital.", Yibo answered, when the cab driver asked his two customers from the back seats, where to drive.

"No, no, no need, Bo-di didn't I tell you that it's only a minor scratch? Look, I'm not even bleeding anymore, just give him your address and let's go home. I'm starting getting sleepy.", I smiled to my overly distressed friend, trying to calm him down by squeezing gently his hand that was still holding mine...for some reason.

"What if you just think you're getting sleepy, but it's actually a side effect of the hit and of the blood loss, I still think we should go to the hospital.", he replied, pulling my head to rest onto his shoulder.

"Are you kidding? Side effect of the blood loss? It's not like I bled rivers, I only lost few drops.   
Besides, I've told you many times before that I'm not miss Zoey Meng, but Xiao Zhan, a man! I'm a man, manly enough to take a ceramic ashtray in my face, from a weak woman, and to not die from that, ha, ha, ha!  
Now, give the driver your address!", I forced myself to laugh and squeezed again, his hand.

"Oh, I understand now, haha, wherever it's some trouble, just 'cherchez la femme'(A/n: a French phrase which literally means 'look for the woman')", the taxi driver exclaimed. A very well-read cab driver, it looked like.

"Yeah, something like that.", Yibo mumbled and told him the address.  
He then lowered himself in the seat to adjust his lips at my ear's level:  
"Zhan-ge, I'm so sorry. It's only my fault, I should have known better, I should have never taken you to that restaurant. I should have known that she will be informed about my presence on there, and she will...  
I'm sorry for you having to go through such a terrible moments, I'm sorry for your beautiful face getting harmed, I'm sorry for getting insulted by that crazy woman and her guards, I'm sorry for the embarrassment I put you through, I'm sorry for the boyfriend lie, and at last but not at least I'm sorry for kissing you without your consent."

I tried hard to tame the crazy heart thumps from my chest and to calm down the wild blood boiling in my veins, at the hot breath burning my skin, whenever he whispered against my neck and ear.

And after few inhale-exhales, I have finally managed to talk-whisper back, pinching his lips together, same like he did to me:  
"Stop saying I'm sorry! These were your own words to me, now it's my turn to ask you the same.   
It's not your fault that she is an ill woman, also I understood completely the 'boyfriend' lie.   
As about the kiss, it was not your idea, but it was her request.  
And...and, and you didn't force me into the kiss, don't you remember that I agreed?   
I like to think about myself that I'm intelligent, so of course that I understood the possible bad consequences if we would have rejected her request.  
I don't know who or what is this woman to you, and do not worry that I will tell Zoey anything about what has happened here!   
But my guts are telling me that this Yang Liu has something to do with your willing to get married at this young age of yours.  
If you would want to tell me the truth, I'm ready to listen, whenever you're ready to tell. I mean, I will listen to you, as your friend, not as a part from our Q/A deal.  
Because I assume I can call ourselves as friends, especially now, after sharing...ermm... such an intimate...sharing that kiss, ermm."

"Yes, yes, I want to tell you the whole truth, I have so many things to tell you about.  
I always yearned to have someone to tell them...things.   
Liu was right when saying I have never had someone to call as my true friend, but not because I think friendship is something trivial, do you believe me?", he asked in strangled voice, cupping my chin and turning my face to his.  
"Yes, I believe you, I can be your friend with my whole heart, if you want me to.", I murmured, reaching a hand to cares away the small tear, sliding down his warm cheek.

I could see in this kid's beautiful eyes, hidden pains and locked hurtful wounds that I swore to myself in that moment, to help him to unload them from his heavy soul.

We noticed that the cab was not moving anymore, only when the driver rolled down his window to ask someone why was the traffic suddenly stuck.

"As I was told, it was a major car accident, and the traffic might be congested for one more hour or so. I can't turn around the car, as both senses are blocked, so you have only two options, one, to walk the rest of the ride, and the second is to wait in the cab until the traffic will be free, but I must announce you that this second option will cost you some extra money for the stationary time.", the cab driver informed us.

"We will wait, and do not worry about the money.", Yibo replied, then turned back to me:  
"Come, lay your head in my lap and try to have a short nap in the meantime, it will be good for you to rest a bit."

I was so affected by his hurtful eyes from before, that I didn't protest in any way, I just let him to handle me however he wanted.

He placed my head onto his thighs with a hand nesting my cheek, and the other hand running gently through my hair.

As soon as I closed my eyes, the film of the kiss started to run in my mind.

_"Now kiss!", the woman yelled, and plopped herself onto a chair, like ready for watching a movie._

_I don't even know what I felt when Yibo yelled back a determined "No!"  
Did I feel disappointed for not getting kissed by my obsessive crush?  
Did I feel my heart shattering at the thought that he might feel outraged or even disgusted at the possibility of kissing another man?   
Of kissing me?  
Yes, I did!  
The hatred I read in his eyes and in his clenched fists when shouting that "No!", it couldn't mean other than disgust._

_"No? So, I was right, he is not your boyfriend!  
You didn't change at all, you are the same liar, the same trash _ _that_ _you were when my mother, god rest her soul, had saved your sorry a$s from that group rape! And this is the way you thank her, by lying to her beloved daughter?!", the woman screamed, freezing my soul, when she opened her purse and took out a small gun, that didn't look at all like a toy-gun, as small as it was._

_She ignored the two guards begging her to calm down, and placed the gun to my temple:  
"Wang Yibo, I refrain myself from killing you right here and right now, only because mom forced me to swear before she died that I will never hurt you! But obviously I didn't promise her to not harm this so-called friend of yours.   
They took away from me all the bullets, but I managed to save one, hahaha, I'm smarter than all of you! So, that one bullet is in the gun, just in case I'd ever decide to finish my life, but I could use it to kill your friend, that bad you've gotten on my nerves with that NO!  
Care to explain who is him, and why don't you want to kiss him?  
And if your explanation will satisfy me, I will give the gun to my guards.  
I'm listening!" _

_I couldn't do anything, a guard was holding my twisted hands to my back, and the other guard was holding Yibo.  
Anyways I didn't dare to even breathe properly, with that gun poking against my temple._

_I could hardly hear Yibo's weak, trembling voice:  
"Please, Liu, I will say and do whatever you want, just put down the gun, you might pull the trigger by mistake. Please, Liu, please miss Yang, I'm begging you, leave him alone, take me, but leave him alone!"_

_The woman put the gun back in her purse and sat down in the chair, listening to Yibo's next words:  
"Thank you miss Yang!  
I'm telling you, now, the truth and only the truth!  
He is not my friend, but someone's else's friend, he is not a customer, I have never taken male customers, and you were right that he is nor my boyfriend, indeed.  
He is just someone I have fallen in love with, and I'm not lying to you, I swear.  
My reply was No, not because I don't want to kiss him, god knows how much I wanted to do that from the first moment I met him!  
I said No, because I didn't want for my first kiss with him to be shared with you and your bodyguards, I wanted our first kiss to be consented and desired by both of us, not forced by some..."_

_"Some crazy bitch like me?", the woman barked, standing hastily up from the chair._

_I squirmed in the guard's hold and turned to face the woman:  
"Please, miss Yang, release us, we will kiss of course, and not against my will, I confess that I, too, craved to kiss him, from the first moment we've met!"_

_She finally ordered the two men to release the both of us._

_I kept talking, facing her, noticing that my words had her calmer:  
"Bo-di, don't upset miss Yang anymore!  
She didn't ask from us something awful to do, she only asked us to kiss!  
What's the big deal if they would watching us?  
Let them watch, and mphhh..." _

_I got so startled when I was grabbed by my shoulders, spun around and silenced by...Yibo's lips on mine.  
Well, not exactly on mine, as his lips landed below my bottom lip._

_"Actually the first thing I dreamed to do, ever since I saw your picture, was to kiss this lip mole, it simply hypnotized me.", he whispered against my skin, brushing his moist lips over my lip mole and peppering my chin with little butterfly kisses between whispers, that only us were able to hear, covered by the restaurant's ambient music._

_His whispers shocked me even more than that gun against my temple, why was he even saying such words? The psycho didn't ask him anything else than kiss, not to...  
His eyes were closed, but mine were still wide open, I just couldn't understand..._

_I took a deep breath out, when his cold hands plastered onto my burning cheeks and heated ears.  
The hotness of his lips, instead, was like a flaming string trailing down my neck._

_He then opened his eyes and took a slight distance from me, with something like adoration (?)...twinkling in his deep stare._

_His hands went from the sides of my head, down my neck, following the lips trail, out to my shoulders and down to my hands.  
He lifted my hands to his lips, and started to plant soft kisses inside of my palms._   
  
_My heart was about to leap out of my chest, I closed tightly my eyes and tried to keep my mind sane...This is not happening for real, we are just two actors acting in a scene that would keep them alive and safe from a lunatic's threat!_

_My hands went by themselves in his hair when his lips were back onto my neck skin. Instinctively, I tilted my head at the...ahhh...gentle bites onto my ear lobe.  
His heated, moist breathe ghosting my skin, made me want more.  
My fingers grabbed hold of a handful of hair, pushing him closer to me.  
After few feather kisses around my face, his lips got pressed unexpectedly onto mine, pulling a low moan from my throat._   
  
_His hands were holding the sides of my head, guiding gently my moves.  
When his teeth sank in the pulp of my bottom lip, my mind blanked out and the world became a whirlwind._   
  
_I shyly opened my trembling lips, maybe intending to say something, or maybe for other reason, I don't quite remember.  
But I remember the tip of his tongue poking my sensitive gums and licking my front teeth.  
I remember his tongue invading the inside of my mouth, pushing and twirling around mine._   
  
_Yes, I remember everything._   
  
_I remember how I knotted my fists in his shirt, pulling him harder against me, how I sucked strongly his tongue inside my mouth, then invaded his, caressing the palate, licking the back and front parts of his teeth, wiggling and pulsating my tongue against his.  
He groaned softly, low in his throat, and then his arms circled my waist, pulling me impossibly closer._

_The delicious smell of him invaded my nostrils, an intoxicating mix of discret cologne with his personal scent._

_I don't know if I heard a screaming "Enough!", or it was just an illusion, before feeling that my head was about to getting scalped, that hard someone pulled me back by my hair.  
I didn't even have time to process what was happening, that a sharp pain knocked me down over the table._   
_It was the psycho woman, who decided in the end that she didn't enjoy the spectacle, that was acted at her request, so she grabbed the nearest heavy object.  
The two guards didn't even have time to react in any way, after she hit me in the face with that ceramic ashtray, and Yibo jumped on her._

_My luck was that the ashtray was slightly slippery and the woman didn't have a strong hold on it. It could have broken my nose or damage badly my eye, but I was lucky enough, that the ashtray slipped down from her hand._

"Zhan-ge, wake up, we are home!"

  
  



	7. 05 Drunken Q/A / part 01

They were heading toward the block's entrance, when the cab driver came running, holding something in his hands:  
"Sir, sir, you forgot the wine!"

"The wine?", Yibo asked in confusion.

"Probably you don't remember, as you were still in a too disturbed state of mind when the pretty waitress followed us outside and handed me that napkin.   
She has also insisted to give us these two bottles of expensive wine, from behalf the restaurant's staff, you know, as an apologetic gesture for the trouble we had experienced at their place, and as a thank you gift for not calling the police.", Zhan explained to Yibo, after thanking to the cab driver.

While Yibo was unlocking the apartment door, he told Zhan:  
"Zhan-ge, go ahead, I will miss just for a few minutes. I have just remembered that I don't have any necessary stuff for treating your injuries, but there is a drugstore right around the corner. I will lock you inside and take the key with me, maybe you intend to take a shower or something and I don't want to disturb you with the answering of the door! Just be extra careful with the hot water on the wounded area!" 

"Bo-di, I told you that my injuries are just light scratches, look, there are almost gone! But if you insist to leave, then leave, just don't go "karate" on me again when you'll be back, ha, ha!", Zhan laughed, massaging jokingly his nape.

He got startled when Yibo placed the wine bottles on the floor and pulled him harshly in a bone crushing embrace.  
"What, why, what?", he gasped.

Yibo tightened his arms around him and spoke in a voice close to crying:  
"Zhan-ge, you have no idea how precious I feel that you are to me, I need you to know that I would never hurt you, never never again! I will never hurt you again, that's a promise! I hope that someday you will be able to forgive me and forget about everything I put you through, I'm so so sorry...Even though you are practically a stranger, about whom I know nothing much, don't know why I feel like you are the missing piece from the puzzle of my life." 

Zhan buried his face onto Yibo's neck crook and whispered, trying hard to hide the deep emotion from his voice:  
"Oh, come, come, don't be so overly dramatic, nothing bad has happened to me, I am here with you, safe and sound, am I not?  
Also, just so you know, I feel the same, I feel that you are very precious to me.  
Now, go, and be careful out there, it's already dark outside, come home safely."

Yibo released him from his arms, and rubbed his moist eyes with the back of his palms, while murmuring:  
"Home...home...So strange,I have just noticed that your presence inside this apartment, got me to call it HOME again, for the first time after such a long time...after...her death...  
Thank you Zhan-ge for giving me back all these, these lovely feelings of a cozy home, of a warm and honest hug, of a caring friend."  
Then he left, leaving behind the locked door, a puzzled and wondering Zhan.

-000-

_"Her death? Who's “her”? Probably his lost lover...Of course he had a girlfriend, after all he is a straight man who applied to get married to my friend Zoey, my female friend!  
Wake up Xiao Zhan from this dangerous dream, the kiss, or the hug meant nothing that you fantasized to be, you couldn't be anything else to him but a “caring friend”!"_, Zhan mused in his mind, while placing the wine bottles on the kitchen table.

Then he tried to call Zoey, but he got a busy signal:  
 _"C'mon Zoey, with whom are you chatting now? Your distressed friend badly needs an advice!  
What should I do?  
Should I keep playing this game of lies, or should I just tell him the truth?  
The whole truth, the naked TRUTH?  
Maybe I should...but, but I'm scared!  
I was never so scared in my whole life!  
Wait, I might have a great idea!  
I will open a bottle of wine and drink just a bit, yes, this I will do!  
Xiao Zhan, I know that you have a very low level of alcohol tolerance, but I also know that alcohol gives you the guts and the courage you need right now!  
Cheers and fighting, Xiao Zhan!  
After all, what could happen the worst, except that you could be kicked out from his house...and out from his life? This will happen anyway, sooner or later!"_

  
Yibo was in late, for some reason, it was already more than half an hour since he has been left.  
While waiting for him, Zhan was keep sipping little by little, straight from the wine bottle.  
  
"What a hell Bo-hic-di, where are you?  
I'm starting getting sleepy on here!  
Do you want to know the truth or not hic?  
If you do, then hurry and move your sexy ass back home, what a hell!", Zhan shouted between hiccups, trying to stand up from the chair, but falling back down with a loud thump.  
He didn't even notice that he finished drinking already the whole content of one of the bottles.

"Hey, Zhan-ge, I'm home, no need to shout like that! As I see, you started the party without me!  
Oh, did I hear you right that you find my ass sexy, ha ha ha?", Yibo laughed heartily at the funny and cute, intoxicated man from his kitchen, who was keep struggling to stand up onto his wobbling legs.

Yibo jumped to catch the tipsy man, who got tripped onto the chair leg and was about to fall over the table, and sat him back down onto the chair:  
"Easy there, don't stand up, you don't want to get one more injury, by falling with your face onto the wine bottle, don't you? Just tell me if you need something and I will give you!  
Now, stay still and let me try to treat those ugly scratches, the drugstore seller told me that this ointment will make wonders until tomorrow morning.  
My goodness, why are you so beautiful even when drunk? Do you ever have bad moments, when your look is not so perfect, like any common human being? I could have never imagined that a drunk person could be so, so...  
Zhan-ge, I like everything about you, your outstanding beauty, your honest personality, your warm heart, your...  
I hope from the bottom of my heart, for miss Meng to be my buyer, that way I will not be forced to never see you again!  
I hope for miss Meng to be willing to get married to me and take me in the US, that way I will be able to keep you as my friend, to keep your presence around me, to keep you in my life!"

His words were cut by Zhan's enthusiastic shout:  
"Bo-di, I like you, too!  
I like everything about you, too!  
We don't need Zoey, I can do that!  
Only if you are willing to, of course!"

"Huh, what are you talking about, Zhan-ge?", Yibo asked, while applying the last band aid. Then he poured wine in two glasses from the second bottle and sat down on the other chair.  
Zhan reached out over the table and grabbed Yibo's hand between his and talked, this time in a lower voice, looking and sounding, suddenly, like a perfectly sober man:  
"As you know, I work as an assistant of a big shot businessman. As one of my duties is to take care of his schedules, this particular job had me influenced to schedule my own life, too. Me getting married was planned to happen later on, after I would be 36 years, or more. But, I could change that plan!"

"Zhan-ge, what on earth are you trying to say?  
Do you want to be you to marry miss Meng, or what?  
I think I was not suspicious on this matter, for nothing.", Yibo frowned, withdrawing slowly his hand from Zhan's grip.

But Zhan pulled back his hand:  
"No, no, no, nothing close to that. As I told you, Zoey and me are nothing more than best friends, and you can take my words as a part from our Q/A deal. Imagine that you asked me again what is my relationship with Zoey, and this was my honest answer.  
Now, pay attention at what I will tell you further!  
I said that we don't need Zoey, because it will be me who will take you in the US, it will be me who will get married to you, and this will be the perfect way you will be able to keep me as your friend, to keep my presence around you, to keep me in your life!"

Yibo's reaction was far from what Zhan has expected or hoped to be.   
After his eyes got filled with a plain shock, he started to laugh like crazy, totally confusing Zhan at first, then getting him hurt.  
He hid his flustered cheeks behind the empty wine bottle and tried hard to swallow his unshed tears while murmuring:  
"I'm sorry...it was just a stupid joke, I'm drunk..."

"No, no, you don't have to be sorry, actually it was not a stupid joke, it was quite a good one, you really made me laugh. I will say it once again, that you are the cutest drunk I have ever seen in my life, especially with those rosy cheeks of yours.", Yibo laughed more, standing up and pinching the said cheeks.

"Can I ask you one more question from those Q/A?", he said, pouring more wine in his glass, as Zhan's glass was still full.

"Yes, of course.", Zhan smiled, rubbing the pinching trails from his cheeks and rubbing his eyes too, afraid that the tears might burst out. 

"Zhan-ge, what is your sexuality? And don't get me wrong, I'm not asking because of your joke, I got it, it was just a joke. But I was just wondering...Hmm, you know...about you and miss Meng...ermm...", Yibo stuttered.

"Oh, not again, you don't have to worry about my relationship with Zoey, don't get jealous with me, she will love you as soon as she will meet you in person, I'm sure!  
Even though I'm straight, one of the reasons that I didn't fall in love with her, is probably because when I first met her, I was dating someone whom I liked very much. And she supported my relationship, as a friend, and in time we remained friends, actually best friends.", Zhan lied partly...After all, they were allowed to give one false answer from the four of the Q/A deal.

"I want to ask you the same question, consider it as part from the Q/A, Bo-di, are you straight, gay, bi or whatever?", Zhan fake-smiled, sipping from his glass of wine, in atempt to drown in wine the tiny hope from his hurtful heart.

"I am straight, obviously, remember that I applied to that mail-order husband site.", Yibo answered, sipping from his glass of wine, too.

"Obviously...  
I'm starting getting sleepy.", Zhan sighed, yawning and laying his face onto the table, mostly to hide his sadness away from the other's eyes.

"Yes, it's pretty late, we should get going to bed.  
Come, let's go.", Yibo said, helping Zhan to stand up.

"No need to help me, I'm not drunk anymore, don't know how it happened, but I'm sober now.   
I feel like taking a shower.  
Oh, and one more thing, I don't think we should sleep in the same bed again...no reason, though, just because...  
But after that kiss we've shared, I don't think it's right towards Zoey, to sleep together, even though we are both straight.  
I can take the guest room."

"I don't think miss Meng would have a problem with two straight men sleeping in the same bed, but as you wish.  
I will take the guest room, you will sleep better in the bed you have already used with.  
Take care when you'll have the shower, try to avoid wetting the bandaged area.  
Then good night, Zhan-ge, have a nice sleep, see you tomorrow morning!  
Go ahead, I will stay for a little while and drink some more wine.", Yibo smiled.

"Then, if you are not going to bed, I will keep you company after showering, because I only asked one question from the four of today Q/A. Also you asked me two, you still have two more.  
My questions would be: one, who is the lunatic woman to you, two, why do you want to get married so young, and three, I want to know about your former girlfriend, that “her” who died, if it's not a too painful topic for you.", Zhan grabbed the chance to get the desired answers to the questions that torment him the most. 

-000-

By the time Zhan came back from the shower, Yibo finished drinking the wine bottle.

"Oh, god dammit, I just can't stop getting amazed with how beautiful you are...  
You look so sex appealing with that wet hair of yours and that flawless glowing skin of yours.  
And ouch, your smile is simply hurting me, ohh, Zhan-ge, what is happening to me? I feel so...strange...", Yibo murmured, at Zhan's arrival in the kitchen.

"You are just drunk, a cute drunk, though. Ha, ha, ha, now the tables are turned around, I am the sober one and you are the drunk cutie pie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 02 of "05 Drunken Q/A " comming soon!


	8. 05 Drunken Q/A  / part 02

"No, you're wrong, I'm not drunk, let's start the Q/A, remind me, what was your first question?", Yibo smiled, straightening himself in the chair.

"Nevertheless, I suggest we should make us more comfortable, it's no use to sit here in the kitchen, when we could sit on the couch in the living room, or even better, to lay down on the bed. We could put some music, a movie or something, while playing the Q/A.", Zhan replied.

"On the bed? But didn't you say that you want to sleep alone?", Yibo asked while walking to the fridge to take a bottle of cold mineral water.

"We could go to sleep in separate rooms after finishing the Q/A.  
Do you have more mineral water in the fridge? I'm thirty and that steamed cold bottle looks too appealing to my dry throat.", Zhan smiled, stretching his long, sexy neck and bobbing his adam apple in the attempt to swallow down the imaginary dry lump.  
  
He widened his eyes in shock, startled at Yibo's unexpected yelling:  
"Zhan-ge, stop it for fu*k's sake, just stop it!"

"What?! What?!", Zhan panicked, especially at that glare filled with something seemingly close to hatred.

Yibo shuddered at the sight of the other's frightened eyes brimming with tears, and pulled him into his embrace:  
"Nothing, nothing, I'm sorry for yelling at you!  
I have just promised you minutes ago that I will never hurt you again, and look at me, yelling at you and bringing tears in your precious eyes!  
You might be right that I'm drunk, I'm not entitled to say otherwise, as I don't even have any clue of what's wrong with me.  
Come, Zhan-ge, let's go in the living room, the couch is fine enough...Especially safe enough.  
This is the only bottle of water, but we can share it.   
Wait, let me take two clean glasses."

"No need for glasses, Bo-di, the water will be more enjoyable to drink it straight from that steamed bottle. We can share it, only if you are not disgusted to drink after me, because of my injured lip." 

Yibo closed back the door of the glasses cabinet and grabbed Zhan's hand, pulling him closer.  
With his other hand, he cupped his soft cheek, not taking his eyes away from his wounded lip, while whispering:  
"Oh god, I'm so sorry for what happened to you...How can you think that I could feel disgusted with this delicious mouth of yours, did you forget that we shared much more than a bottle of mineral water, did you forget already the kiss?  
Because I didn't forget, and I'm scared to death that I will never be able to do so."

It was hard for Zhan to hide his deep emotions, but he did his best, by bringing the discussion on a different path:  
"If you can't forget because you feel guilty towards Zoey, I promise that she will never find out about that kiss, at least not from me.  
Did you just call my mouth delicious?  
Well, don't get embarrassed, I remember that you caught me calling your ass as sexy, so now we are even, ha, ha, ha."

-000-

After they sat down on the living room couch and gulped down the whole mineral water, Yibo opened one of the playlists on his phone:  
"This should be fine as a background music for my telling, just tell me if you don't like it. It's a mix of songs from my favorite web series "Chén Qíng Lìng", also called "The Untamed", I really recommend you to watch it.   
Anyway, if you are not too sleepy, I'm going to start with the very beginning, that way my life story will answer many from your Q/A questions.   
Hmm, that wine was really strong, I still feel slightly dizzy, would you mind if I would lay down?"

"Of course that I don't mind. I will take off my shoes and we can both make ourselves more comfortable, your couch is large enough.", Zhan replied, climbing up on the couch cushion one of his long legs and pulling Yibo's back between his parted legs and his head onto his chest. "This way you shouldn't feel dizzy anymore."

"So, let's see from where should I begin?  
Yeah, I know...My father, no, the man they've been calling as my father, he hated me...Do not worry, it was fair enough, because I hated him, not lesser...I hated him from the bottom of my heart not for the long hours he was locking me inside that narrow dark closet whenever he was coming home angry and drunk from his gambling gatherings, but rather for the cruel way he was abusing my mother, physically and mentally...My poor fragile mother...God rest her soul.", Yibo spoke in wavy voice, yet a small smile blooming onto his lips at Zhan's fingers interlacing with his.

"Oh, your mother died, so I assumed wrongly that...", Zhan mumbled indistinctly, while running his other hand through the lying man's soft hair.

"Huh?", Yibo murmured, purring like a cat in Zhan's tender touch.

"Nothing, just that I feel so so sorry for losing your mother, I can't even imagine myself in your shoes, oh god.  
If it's hard for you, you don't need to tell further, anyway that Q/A is nothing but a foolish childishness.", Zhan whispered, leaning to plant a chaste kiss onto Yibo's hair.

"No, no, actually it makes me feel good to be able to unload my heavy soul to someone. Ah Zhan-ge, I'm so happy for being you that someone, thank you for listening to me.", Yibo sighed, bringing to his chest their intertwined hands.  
"So, let me tell you further.   
We were a very poor family, living in a small mountain village, with not much to work for earning money, but still, I have no idea how did my mother manage to never send me to sleep on an empty stomach or to send me to school with no suitable clothes and shoes. She shared with me one day, when I was around 16, a secret about a hiding spot, dug in a wall, about which her husband didn't know. It was a small fortune in that box, she didn't reveal the source, though. Don't think now that there were millions or something, but those few hundred yuans and the few golden jewels were enough for giving me a decent life and a decent education along all of those years she had raised me...This, until one fatidic day, one year later, when...I came home from school...Fathe...ermm, her husband was sitting at the kitchen table with a man I have never seen before.  
They were not aware of my presence, behind the door, so I listened to their conversation. They were bargaing about a price, that I figured from their conversation, that the man called my father was about to sell me to a criminal organization of prostitution.  
I ran outside where my mother was sweeping up the yard, and when I recounted her about what was going on inside, she told me to take the box from the secret spot and to leave urgently, and to be happy, anywhere, just far away from that village.  
I implored her to come with me, but she didn't want, probably thinking that she would be a burden to me. Oh god, I will never forgive myself that I didn't take her with me,against her will, by force, why didn't I do that?!  
Zhan-ge, it was my fault that she died, it was me who killed my beloved mother, not that bastard who stabbed her to death, that very day when I left her in his criminal hands!", Yibo started to convulse from the hard crying.

Zhan slipped down from the couch and knelt to wrap Yibo's shaking form in his arms:  
"Oh my god, Di-di, shhh, shhh, it was not your fault, just think about how sad you make her when she watches you from heaven. She loved you and she wanted you to be happy, I'm sure she doesn't like to see you like this. You should make sure that her self sacrifice was worth it. You should make sure to accomplish her wish, and her wish was for you to be happy.  
Now please, let me wipe away your tears and please give your dearest mom that sunshine smile that you know how.  
Tell her that you love her and promise her loudly that you will do your best to make her wish come true and be happy!"

"You know I love you mom, please forgive me for letting you down!   
I start to believe that it was you who sent an angel from up there where you are now, an angel to bring a piece of hope and sunshine in my ugly life. Thank you mom, for sending him to me!  
Thank you Zhan-ge, and forgive me once again, for bringing those tears in your beautiful eyes. Please, don't cry!  
I promise to both of you that I will be happy!", Yibo sniffed, hugging back the man who was embracing him tightly and reaching out to wipe the tears streaming down his cheeks. 

"So, let's see from where should I begin?  
Yeah, I know...My father, no, the man they've been calling as my father, he hated me...Do not worry, it was fair enough, because I hated him, not lesser...I hated him from the bottom of my heart not for the long hours he was locking me inside that narrow dark closet whenever he was coming home angry and drunk from his gambling gatherings, but rather for the cruel way he was abusing my mother, physically and mentally...My poor fragile mother...God rest her soul.", Yibo spoke in wavy voice, yet a small smile blooming onto his lips at Zhan's fingers interlacing with his.

"Oh, your mother died, so I assumed wrongly that...", Zhan mumbled indistinctly, while running his other hand through the lying man's soft hair.

"Huh?", Yibo murmured, purring like a cat in Zhan's tender touch.

"Nothing, just that I feel so so sorry for losing your mother, I can't even imagine myself in your shoes, oh god.  
If it's hard for you, you don't need to tell further, anyway that Q/A is nothing but a foolish childishness.", Zhan whispered, leaning to plant a chaste kiss onto Yibo's hair.

"No, no, actually it makes me feel good to be able to unload my heavy soul to someone. Ah Zhan-ge, I'm so happy for being you that someone, thank you for listening to me.", Yibo sighed, bringing to his chest their intertwined hands.  
"So, let me tell you further.   
We were a very poor family, living in a small mountain village, with not much to work for earning money, but still, I have no idea how did my mother manage to never send me to sleep on an empty stomach or to send me to school with no suitable clothes and shoes. She shared with me one day, when I was around 16, a secret about a hiding spot, dug in a wall, about which her husband didn't know. It was a small fortune in that box, she didn't reveal the source, though. Don't think now that there were millions or something, but those few hundred yuans and the few golden jewels were enough for giving me a decent life and a decent education along all of those years she had raised me...This, until one fatidic day, one year later, when...I came home from school...Fathe...ermm, her husband was sitting at the kitchen table with a man I have never seen before.  
They were not aware of my presence, behind the door, so I listened to their conversation. They were bargaing about a price, that I figured from their conversation, that the man called my father was about to sell me to a criminal organization of prostitution.  
I ran outside where my mother was sweeping up the yard, and when I recounted her about what was going on inside, she told me to take the box from the secret spot and to leave urgently, and to be happy, anywhere, just far away from that village.  
I implored her to come with me, but she didn't want, probably thinking that she would be a burden to me. Oh god, I will never forget myself that I didn't take her with me,against her will, by force, why didn't I do that?!  
Zhan-ge, it was my fault that she died, it was me who killed my beloved mother, not that bastard who stabbed her to death, that very day when I left her in his criminal hands!", Yibo started to convulse from the hard crying.

Zhan slipped down from the couch and knelt to wrap Yibo's shaking form in his arms:  
"Oh my god, Di-di, shhh, shhh, it was not your fault, just think about how sad you make her when she watches you from heaven. She loved you and she wanted you to be happy, I'm sure she doesn't like to see you like this. You should make sure that her self sacrifice was worth it. You should make sure to accomplish her wish, and her wish was for you to be happy.  
Now please, let me wipe away your tears and please give your dearest mom that sunshine smile that you know how.  
Tell her that you love her and promise her loudly that you will do your best to make her wish come true and be happy!"

"You know I love you mom, please forgive me for letting you down!   
I start to believe that it was you who sent an angel from up there where you are now, an angel to bring a piece of hope and sunshine in my ugly life. Thank you mom, for sending him to me!  
Thank you Zhan-ge, and forgive me once again, for bringing those tears in your beautiful eyes. Please, don't cry!  
I promise to both of you that I will be happy!", Yibo sniffed, hugging back the man who was embracing him tightly and reaching out to wipe the tears streaming down his cheeks. 

"Yes, I want you to be happy, I love you.", Zhan's mouth whispered without his brain's permission, when his tears were being wiped by the other's hot lips.

"Hmmm? What did you say?", Yibo mumbled with his lips plastered on his Gege's wet, burning cheek. Lips that were slowly coming closer and closer to the corner of Gege's “brainless” mouth.

Zhan tried quickly to clear his foggy mind and explained hastily:  
"I said I want you to be happy, I love you. Ermm, I only spoke loudly what your mother has actually replied to you, as she can't make herself literally heard by you."

"I think I love you, too...", Yibo sighed."Mother...", he finished the sentence.

They both flinched at a buzzing sound "coming from hell" like, and jumped apart.  
It was Zhan's phone that was shaking like crazy on the coffee table next to the couch.

"Excuse me just a moment, this is important, I have to take this.", Zhan mumbled, standing up and grabbing the phone.

"It's okay, anyway I need to take a shower, then we should go to sleep. We have plenty of time to continue with the telling of my life story, tomorrow.", Yibo smiled.  
He was just standing up from the couch, when his phone started to buzz as well.  
He muttered a soft "Good night, Zhan-ge.", then he walked out from the living room while taking the call.


	9. Chapter 9

My mother was hospitalized, probably a minor cerebral stroke, she can't move her right side. Anyways, going on hiatus, don't know yet for how long. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thank you in advance for your wishes of well!


	10. 06 Midnight stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know how to thank all of you, nice people, from all platforms I use. I'm very touched and thankful  
> I'm also thankful that my mom is conscious and lucid, can talk, can eat, and hopefully, after lots of physical therapy she will be able to use again her leg and hand  
> For now I can do nothing much, except praying and hoping, at least for the 14 days she will remain hospitalized. I will make use by the YiZhan wonderland as an escape distraction , therefore I will be around sometimes.  
> Thank you once again, stay healthy everyone! 🥰

Zhan was aware of Zoey's insistent calls while he was talking on the phone with the other caller, but now it was no time to call her back. 

  
After brushing his teeth and changing quickly into pajamas, he tucked himself in bed and called his boss:  
"Hello mister Meng, I apologize for disturbing you, but I have some fresh and interesting news.   
We found her!   
The private investigator you've hired, had just called me. He found missis Baoshan Sanren, he even saw her in person!   
In Yalong Bay, the best beach from China, located on Hainan Island. He only told me that she works at a SPA center, oh and one more thing, he said that she is a very beautiful woman, hard to believe that she is in her fifties, haha.   
Yes of course, tomorrow I'll be there. I've already checked out, there are only two and a half hours by plane from Guangzhou, plus 40 minutes more, by taxi from the airport.  
I hope to find an available plane ticket for tomorrow, anyway I will call you as soon as I will have something new.  
Oh, about that picture, it was just a misunderstanding. I saw an old picture of a woman that seemed to me to have a possible connection with miss Baoshan Sanren, but nevermind, it was just a wrong assumption. No, no, it's just that, that picture had a certain hotel building in the background. Building belonging to the company mentioned in missis Baoshan Sanren's mail-ordered bride bio, you know, the company she worked for. For a moment, my excited brain thought that the woman from that old picture might be miss Baoshan Sanren in her youth, but later I found out that the woman from the picture is actually dead. Anyway, in that picture it could be seen only the woman's back side and a slight peak to her profile.  
Yes, I know that money is no problem, and I promise to take care of myself, thank you mister Meng. Alright, I will go now, to sleep and take a good rest, thank you mister Meng and do not worry, good bye and have a nice day sir!" 

-000-

With so many thoughts troubling his mind and his heart as well, it took a pretty long time for Zhan to finally fallen asleep.  
But not long after, he snapped awake with a dreadful thirst strangling his throat.  
He walked drowsily to the kitchen, swearing in his way that he will never get drunk again, while massaging his throbbing temples.  
  
On his way back to the bedroom, his attention was caught by the light creeping from under the door of the guest room:  
"Hmm, why is not Bo sleeping yet? He has to go tomorrow morning to pick up the motorcycle from that damn restaurant. Or did he forget to turn the light off?" 

He tiptoed to that room and cracked carefully the door as to not wake Bo up, intending just to switch off the lights...  
But then he almost had a heart attack at the view displayed under his eyes: the bed was empty, and in the narrow spot between the bed and window, Bo was sitting on the floor, whimpering in prolonged, agonizing "Nooo, please nooo!" 

"Bo what a, Bo-di, Di-di what are you?!", Zhan panicked, especially when Yibo looked up at him with eyes filled with terror.  
"No, no, it's okay, shhh, it's Zhan-ge, you are safe now, you are with me, it was just a nightmare, shhh...come, let's stand up, you might catch a cold.", he wrapped the scared boy in his arms, kissing comfortingly his hair and sitting him on the bed. 

"Zhan-ge?", Yibo whispered.

"Yes, yes, it's me. Come now, lay down, no matter what happened in that bad dream you had, it's over now.  
Are you sick? I'll get you a glass of warm milk, or would you like a glass of water, better?", Zhan asked with worry in his voice, when the sitting boy dropped his back onto the bed mattress like a sack of potatoes.

"No, no, no need to get worried, I'm not sick, just that...  
A glass of water will be fine. But please, come quickly back and don't switch off the lights." , Yibo spoke weakly. 

When Zhan got back, it seemed to him that his distressed friend was asleep, so he placed carefully the glass of water on the nightstand.

A framed photo, in natural size, hanging on the bedside wall, caught his full attention.   
He recognized a teenager Wang Yibo, in the beautiful angel with long blond hair and sad smile. 

Zhan's eyes, then, fell on the framed picture resting on the nightstand, from where was smiling the same blond young Yibo, sitting casually next to a girl, a tomboy-like girl, yet a beautiful girl nevertheless. He didn't even realize that he was voicing aloud his inner thoughts:  
"Oh, so this is that "HER" who died, this room was probably his girlfriend's room, or maybe their love bedroom. Of course, this must be the reason that he didn't want me to take this room and, instead, he offered me his own bedroom."

He jumped out of his skin at the hand grabbing his, and at the hoarse voice speaking weakly:  
"Yes, this used to be her room, indeed. Her name was Seungyoun, yeah it was a time when she was everything to me...well, except my girlfriend. She was my best friend, my soulmate, at least so I have thought, until...  
If you are not too sleepy, I'd like to tell you her story. I've never talked about her, since her death.   
Actually I am, just realizing now, how badly I need to hear myself talking aloud about her, like about any random topic, with no trace of resentment in my heart.   
Zhan-ge, please, would you accept to sleep here, with me, or if not, at least to hold me, only for awhile?   
I admit that I have some sleeping issues, I can't sleep with the lights off, especially when nobody is next to me.   
Also ermm, please don't laugh at me, but I'm scared of ghosts.   
Probably you have thought that I'm some degenerated creep, when I asked you if I could cuddle you, even though you were a stranger I'd met for the first time? It was because I only wanted to take advantage of your presence and get some sleep after so many sleepless nights in a row."

"It's alright Bo, I have no problem to sleep here with you, and I can hold you as long as you want.  
You, poor soul, these nightmares must be caused by terrible memories of that dark closet your father used to lock you in, oh my god." , Zhan sighed.  
He climbed up the bed, and lay down on the other half, but Yibo reached out and pulled him to his chest, tucking the coverlet over their embraced cocoon.

"Weird, how natural is feeling my cheek plastered against his chest.", Zhan mused, while listening to the sweet, sad voice along with the heart thumping rhythmically against his ear.

"So, you do remember that I left my home...Well, thenceforth, my life has changed drastically." , Yibo started his telling, curling a lock from Zhan's soft hair around his finger.  
"After I've almost got arrested for traveling with no train ticket, I managed somehow to get to Beijing.  
For awhile, I slept here and there, on the streets, in parks, on the subways benches.  
I fed myself however I could, sometimes from begging, sometimes from street dumpsters, and sometimes when I was overly lucky, I got hired for an hour or so, by random restaurants, to clean the sidewalk from dead leaves and they paid me with a warm soup, god those were such happy days!   
Please Ge-ge, don't cry, or else I will stop telling you further. Those times are gone now, but there are parts from me, I can't forget and do not even want to forget them!" , he sighed, tightening his arms around Zhan's shaking frame.

"Anyways, one day, better saying, one morning, a December morning, I thought I died.   
It was an awfully cold night and as the police chased away all the homeless people from the subway, I had no other choice but to sleep in the park, on a bench. I tried my best to cover myself with some branches I tore from a tree, but the wind was too damn cold.  
Long story short, I was frozen but after awhile I started to feel nothing, and at some point, an angel bent over me, I was sure that the angel of death came to pick me up. And then I have probably passed out, because I didn't remember anything else.  
When I woke up in a bed, an actual bed, with an actual pillow under my head and an actual warm blanket covering my body, I was by then, a hundred percent sure that I was dead, at least I was in heaven.  
I will not lose myself into details, but will go straight to the point and tell you that it was not an angel who bent over me on that bench, not a real angel. But to me Seungyoun, who saved my life, she was an authentic angel, my savior angel.  
Seungyoun was a beautiful girl with a kind heart, forced to work as a prostitute, by some unhappy circumstances, that I will skip telling you about.  
Anyways, she brought me at her secret place, a studio about her pimp didn't know, as it was a gift from a rich elder customer who fell in love with her. But sadly the old man has died before getting to redeem her from the mobsters they own her.  
She took care of me, she always came to see me, to bring me food and medicine, whenever she was able to, between two customers, or even in her sleeping hours break.  
After I got completely healed from the freezing injuries, I started to accompany her when going to meet her clients in some suspicious places, as she came one day with cigarette burns traces onto her arm. I wanted to protect her, as her pimp didn't give a damn over her safety as long as she would give him the cash.  
One day she came at the studio beaten up like hell by her owners, because she didn't earn enough money.  
That very day we decided together to run away. So we did, the next few days I managed to sell her studio to a real estate agency, who agreed to pay in cash and right away, as we sell it at half price.  
After getting the cash, we boarded for Guangzhou, and left the cold Beijing for a warmer climate zone.  
It's pretty late in the night, so I will cut short my story.  
Pretty and smart as she was, also very good in her job of prostitute, Seungyoun succeeded to get hired by a big organization of high class escorts whose rich leaders bought her liberty from the Beijing mobsters.  
She worked only in luxury hotels, as escort for rich businessmen or high class politicians. They bought her this apartment and also she earned a huge sum of money, monthly.  
Slowly, slowly, I got myself attracted by this world that seemed to offer such an easy life to live...And I became a luxury escort, myself, as well.  
Please Zhan-ge, don't get disgusted with me.  
This man, who is holding you, is not the escort White Peony, but is your Bo-Di, the real Wang Yibo whom I missed so badly, and you were the only one who brought that real Wang Yibo, back to me!  
Everything went pretty well for both of us, until one of my customers developed a sick obsession over me. You might figure out who was that client, yes, miss Yang Liu.  
Zhan-ge, are you still awake?  
I think you're getting sleepy, we should continue tomorrow, only if you promise you will not cry anymore.", Yibo smiled, wiping his Ge's wet cheek with his thumb.

"No, no, I'm not sleepy, how could I?  
Oh, my god Bo-di, sorry, I think I got dirty your shirt with snot! ", Zhan whimpered, removing himself from the other's embrace and trying hastily to rub the guilty humid spot.

Yibo reached out to pinch the sitting boy's flustered cheek, then he cupped his shoulders and lay him down onto his back:  
"Oh Zhan Zhan, how can you be such a cute baby?  
Sometimes I feel like eating you up!  
Come back here, holding you in my arms it gives me such a lovely, peaceful feeling.  
We should have some sleep now.   
But before that, I have a very big news to tell you.  
While you were talking on the phone with someone, Miss Meng has called me. She said that she kept trying calling you and as you didn't pick up her call, she was too excited to wait until tomorrow, therefore she called me.  
Anyway, she said that she convinced her father to hire a Chinese native as a model for the new make up product their company intends to release on the Chinese market. She showed him my pictures, and seems like her father was pretty pleased. She said that after the boarding meeting, she will call you to tell you if their company will offer me the job.  
Zhan-Ge, just imagine that! If I would get the visa, I could go to the US, and even celebrate my birthday together with you! She said that the shooting would take place in their studios, not in China, during the first 10 days of August! And my birthday is on August the fifth!" 

"Oh, this is a very great news indeed!  
That way you will be able to meet Zoey in person, to bond with your possible future wife!", Zhan shouted with excitement, shadowed by a hidden trace of hurt.

Seemed like Yibo was sharing his excitement, as a wide smile lit up his whole face, while bending over the lying man:   
"Yeah, you're right! But...  
I don't know if it's wrong or not, but I feel more excited for the perspective of celebrating my birthday with you, than for meeting miss Meng.  
Ermm, I'm really feeling guilty now.  
Yet...  
Why do I feel in this very moment, why do I feel like kissing you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: Sorry for the angst, but it was necessary, and I warn you that it could come more.  
> But what do you say about the chapter ending, except of a loud "DANG!?"


	11. 07 Just a little drunkard making out?

~Xiao Zhan's POV:

Oh no, look at that bright sun, sneaking through the blinds! It must be lunch time already, how could I sleep so much?   
Dammit, I should have been already in the plane at this time...but...I'm sorry Mister Meng!  
I just...my intelligent brain has simply stopped functioning...I just couldn't help myself...  
When he pulled that question, out of nowhere...  
When he asked "Why do I feel like kissing you?", I just...  
My mind got blank and...I just grabbed his necklace and tugged it until his lips landed on mine.  
And the rest is history...  
A history of two hours, or maybe more, two hours of non-stop kissing, bone-crushing hugs, and lots of smiling. There was not even a word uttered, not even a whisper that could deliver a logical explanation to what exactly we were doing.  
We have just kissed.  
And kissed.  
And kissed.  
Until we have probably got exhausted, and fell asleep, cuddled in each other's arms.

What should I do, now?  
Alright, I will wake him up and tell him that I must go to the airport.  
Then, what?  
How should I act, what should I tell him?  
The truth? And with that, to take goodbye from him? And accept that he will hate me forever, accept that I will never see him again?  
No, the truth option can't be one of the options, then what?   
Maybe pretending that nothing has happened, besides a drunkard foolishness. We were both drunk and just didn't think clearly!  
Yes, this could be the right thing to do!  
Oh, good heavens, he is waking up!  
Xiao Zhan, fighting, you can do it!

~End of Xiao Zhan's POV~

  


"You first.", they both spoke at once, again.

"I was just intending to check out if I remember correctly. Two teaspoons of coffee and one half of sugar, am I right?", Yibo asked, yet not turning away from the coffee machine, to face the other man.

"Yes, that's correct, but you don't have to make it mine, too, I can do it by myself.", Zhan smiled and walked awkwardly towards Yibo, not knowing what to do next.

But he halted abruptly, startled at Yibo's voice getting suddenly louder, and seemed to Zhan, slightly angry:  
"Zhan-Ge, please don't do that!"

"What, what?  
Alright, you can make my coffee, too, I just didn't want you...I was thinking that you must be tired, maybe even have a headache after a drunkard night.  
Don't get upset with me, please.", Zhan backed off and leaned against the kitchen window.

Yibo turned around and faced Zhan this time:  
"Oh god, just look at you, how beautiful you can be!  
But it's not only about your outstanding beauty, hmmm...  
How could I get upset with you? I am rather upset with myself.  
Zhan Ge, what to do now? What to do with myself, now?  
I know nothing, except one thing.  
I don't want to lose you.  
I don't have any logical explanation of what I did to give you, and I don't ask one from you, of what you did.  
But until we will be able to understand clearly, please Zhan-ge, just let's not act and feel awkward with each other.  
I don't want us to get distanced ourselves because of a little drunkard making out. What we have is much more than that.  
Not to be dramatic, but I feel like you are my real soulmate. You could say that I thought the same about Seungyoun. But I assure you that what I feel about us, you with me I mean, is completely different. It feels much deeper, much more real...I have no explanation for all of this, though!  
Just, please let's don't be awkward!"

Zhan sighed in relief.  
A bitter relief, though.   
Yeah, for him it was nothing more than "a little drunkard making out".  
Let's not forget that Wang Yibo is the luxury escort White Peony, as well. Such a trivial thing like a little drunkard making out, means nothing much to him, doesn't it?  
Besides, it's the option Zhan has decided on, too, so why was he feeling hurt, though?

-000-

After picking up the motorcycle from the restaurant's parking area, they drove to the airport.

As expected, there were no available tickets for the next ten days, to Hainan Island, the very popular touristic destination, Zhan had to reach at. 

But, it was like a miracle that an extra flight to that destination, was added at the last moment, because of a massive group of international tourists whose tickets were messed up by a touristic agency.

"One ticket, please!", Zhan yelled at the cashier agent, from the too much happiness that he will not disappoint Mister Meng, after all.

"Not one, but two tickets, please.", Yibo smiled at the woman, offended by Zhan's rude tone, melting her annoyance instantly with his charming smile.

"You need me with you, Zhan-Ge. Did you think that your problem is solved just with this lucky flight ticket?  
What will you do when arriving at the location?   
Did you know that Yalong Bay is the best beach in China and the most crowded tourist resort , especially at this month of the year? Do you really think you would get a hotel room, simply as that?  
But you are lucky to have your Bo-Di with you.  
Emily Qi is the CEO of one of the best international hotel groups, established in Yalong Bay. She is also one of my clients, who often told me that I would get a room in one of her hotels whenever I would decide so. It would be needed only a phone call, beforehand.", Yibo grinned, shoving a business card under Zhan's goo-goo eyes.

"Woah, you are close with missis Emily Qi? This Emily Qi, this rich and beautiful business woman?   
Mister, you must be someone famous and important, if you say she is your client, woah!", the cashier gaped at Wang Yibo, tapping a finger on a magazine with the said business woman's picture on the cover, then handing Zhan two first class tickets.

"Yes, White Peony is famous and very important to rich and beautiful business women.", Zhan mumbled in his chin, his eyes throwing fire arrows to the magazine cover, while giving the cashier the card.  
This Emily Qi is a beautiful woman, indeed, probably extremely rich on top of that.  
Why on earth would Wang Yibo want to get married to some online stranger, from a foreign country, when he could get anything he would dream of, here, in his own environment?  
But the answer to this enigma, Zhan will probably find it out, at some point, later on.  
Now, he must call his boss to tell him the good news.

-000-

~In the plane~

  
"I noticed that you were talking to the phone when I came back from the restroom, I suppose it was with that beautiful, rich business woman.", Zhan mumbled, trying hard to mask the inexplicable sadness from his voice.   
Why he was sad, or even envious, he couldn't say it.   
"What did she say? What do you actually have to do for that room, if you get one?", he asked, not looking at his seatmate, but looking rather, on the window.

"Ha, ha, ha, I love when you sound jealous. You are so cute, and so, so beautiful.   
Yes, Emily Qi is a rich business woman, and not at all an ugly woman, but she is not even half at your level of beauty. I mean, beauty in all the senses, not only the physical beauty.  
I will never get tired of telling you that you are an amazingly beautiful human being, and I am so thankful that I had the chance to meet you.", Yibo smiled, grabbing Zhan's hand and interlacing their fingers together.

"Ahem, ahem, so what did she say?", Zhan cleared his throat, while squirming in his seat, but not withdrawing his hand, nevertheless.

Yibo used his free hand to poke gently Zhan's forehead, before casually tapping his nose:  
"You don't have to bother your mind with these things, everything is solved.   
Let's kill our time with something else, instead.  
Tell me about this job of yours, only if you are allowed to, and of course only if you want to.   
I'm really curious about the goal of this trip.  
Who knows, maybe I could give you a help or something."

Alright, it's no secret, I'll tell you.   
But after that, you didn't finish telling me the rest of the story about Seungyoun.   
And also I want to know about that mentaly ill woman.   
Oh, yeah, I especially want to know why you want to get married, and why did you choose to do it through the mail-order agency.", Zhan grabbed the occasion.

Then he started telling his part of their deal:  
"As you know, I work as an assistant for a potent businessman. I deeply respect and care very much about my boss, Mister Meng, and he cares about me, as well, I can say that he loves me dearly. Not only because I'm a dedicated and efficient employee, but mostly because he sees me as a replacement for his lost son. His precious son died, along with his beloved wife, in a plane crash.  
He mourned for six years already, and as my heart couldn't bear to always see him so down, I decided to try on convincing him to start anew and find a new fine woman to get married to her. After a number of failures, that proved in the end to be only petty gold diggers, I told him, jokingly at first, to better buy a wife, at least he will know her price from the beginning. Bo-Di, please don't feel offended, I had no intention..."

After a small break, Zhan continued his telling, but with inserting a few small lies:  
"Anyways, one day when Zoey showed me the Mail-order husband announcement, she was obsessed with, lately, an idea popped into my mind. Why should I not search for a mail-order wife for my boss, too?  
I made a list of ten applicants that I found the most interesting and most suitable to become Mister Meng's life partner, and I presented the list to him.  
He laughed at first, but then he took the issue pretty seriously.  
He even hired a private detective agency to gather information about the three women he chose in the end from the applicants list.  
Two of them were eliminated after the Mail-order spouse Agency found out and announced to him that one of them was already married, and the other one was still in jail, ha, ha.  
And this way, we had a winner candidate in the person of missis Baoshan Sanren, the third applicant from the three!  
But what is interesting and intriguing in this whole story, is that in the profile of Baoshan Sanren, there was no picture at display. The agency motivated that they only have the acceptance from the applicant to post a textual description, because she was afraid for anyone close to her to find out about her registration to that mail-order spouse agency."

Yibo gaped at Zhan:  
"Smart woman! I should have proceeded the same, but I didn't even know that I could do that, I mean, to forbid them to post my pictures.  
Luckily, nobody found out about my registration, at least not from what I know.  
But, I'm curious about one thing, what placed her in the first three favorites from all the options, if you and your boss didn't even know how she looks?"

Zhan smiled at their hands, still interlaced and rested on Yibo's thigh, and continued his telling:  
"Mister Meng was very impressed with her life story.  
The agency explained that the candidate doesn't want her picture to be displayed because she doesn't want for her very old and sick parents to find out that she wants to marry someone other than the husband her parents had chosen for her.   
She wants better to sell her status of wife to a stranger and use her percent of money she would get from the transaction, for searching her lost son, whom she doesn't believe that he died after giving him birth, as it was told to her.   
Mr Meng was very impressed with her story, he especially liked that she didn't want to describe herself as a perfect choice for the possible buyers, like other candidates did, but instead she honestly told her sad story. I will not get you bored with her whole story, now.  
What is important is that the private detective agency has found her, and now we are on the way to meet her personally. She works in a SPA center from Yalong Bay.  
And the fact that she is a very beautiful woman, according to the detective who saw her, comes as a nice bonus.  
Anyways, my job is to meet her, try to know her as much as I can, and report to Mister Meng, my conclusion. Then, the next step will be decided by my boss.  
Alright, now it's your turn."

"Okay, but the stewardesses started to bring the food, we should eat some first, and will tell you, after that.  
Also, I don't know if you will resist, as I saw your eyes getting sleepy, several times. It's pretty late and babies like you are, should take their nap at this late hour, ha, ha, ha.", Yibo laughed heartily at Zhan's pouty lips.

"Whom do you call a baby?  
You...you...zygote!", Zhan bristled at the laughing Yibo, and punched him onto his shoulder.

"Zygote, huh?! Ha, ha, ha!  
You're so funny.  
And so cute when you get upset.  
I'm about to bite the baby's rosy cheeks!", Yibo chuckled, grabbing the other's fist with a hand, and with the other hand cupping his jaw.

"Bo-Di!   
What?  
What are you doing?  
Bo-Di, you won't bite my cheek, won't you?", Zhan panicked.

They jumped apart at the stewardess' voice who was asking them what kind of beverage they would like.  
The food was already placed on their tables. When did that happen? They didn't even notice.


	12. 08"Shuangxi" Hotel /part 01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: Before starting to read, allow me to inform you that the chapter is not completed yet, so you can read it now as it is, only partly completed, or you can wait for a few more days when I intend to add the missing part.

They still had around forty minutes more from the flight, when Xiao Zhan asked Yibo to tell him the missing part of his life story.

"Alright, I will tell you, if you say that you are not sleepy. But only if you promise you'll not get all sad and angsty on me.   
Those dark parts of my life are over now, they belong to the past.  
Come, lay your head on my shoulder, you will feel more comfy. And give me your hand, I don't know why, but holding your hand gives me so much peace and relaxation.  
So, let's see, where did I reach with my telling?", Yibo smiled, interlacing their hands together, and adjusting his body in the seat, for Zhan's comfortable level.

"You were telling me that Miss Yang Liu developed a sick obsession over you, but you didn't get to tell me more details, and also I want to know more about your friend Seungyoun. Why did you say that you only thought that she was your best friend, your soulmate? And I also wanna know...", Zhan bounced excitedly in his seat.

"Oh my god, Zhan Zhan, you cutie, just breath, ha, ha.   
One at a time, I promised to tell you everything, didn't I?", Yibo chuckled, pecking casually at his seatmate's cheek before starting his telling.

"As you might remember, me and Seungyoun were working as luxury escorts under the same organization's protection. One day, an anonymous new customer, who didn't reveal his identity, made a call to the organization's center call, and registered with a strange request. Strange, because it never happened before for someone to hire a female escort along with a male escort.  
That customer wanted to bookmark the two escorts, for 24 hours, to attend a private party occuring, somewhere in the Beijing's suburbs. His request was for the two escorts to come alone, without the usual guards, as the party's guests were VIP who wanted to stay as anonymous as possible, hence the fewer people to see them there, the better. He said he will pay a double price than usual, only for his requests to be accepted.   
Of course that his money offer smelled too good for being rejected.

It seemed to me slightly suspicious that the customer asked for a specific male escort, not anyone else but only the White Peony. But then I thought that some other customer might have recommended me to him.   
Anyways, when the time had come, me and Seungyoun were taken to that address with a car sent by the customer. The driver was wearing a weird mask that was covering his whole face, except for his eyes. He handed us two masks, too, motivating that the party was a carnival theme party.

The car took us to a mansion hidden in the middle of a small forest, outside the town.  
Indeed , all the guests were wearing masks and carnival costumes.

But only later in that night, we found out that the theme of the party was not the carnival, but the ...hmmm, a group rape theme.   
And the raped characters would be the two clueless newly arrived, meaning me and Seungyoun.

The long and the short of it, after an hour or so of an ordinary party, I was suddenly grabbed by two huge masked men, who dragged me in a corner where the music was not so loud.   
They handed me a check file, probably with a big sum on it, explaining to me that it was a very nice bonus, exclusively for me, without the organization's knowledge.  
All I had to do is to play a role in that party theme.   
They informed me that I would be a rape victim in that room, and Seungyoun would be the same in a different room.  
  
They said that the guests will be as gentle as they could, as they signed beforehand an agreement with all kind of rules, like for example that no torture applied on the raped victim was allowed.  
Anyway, they advised me to scream as loud as I could, because the guest's satisfaction would be higher like that, and their money tips for me would be more consistent, too.

Please, Ge-Ge, you've promised me that you'll not going to cry!  
We should take a break, and I will tell you the rest, later.  
And do not worry, because I was not raped!", Yibo halted abruptly from his narration, at Zhan's wet cheek, nuzzling in the crook of his neck.

"No, no, don't stop, I'm good, I was just...  
Oh, Di-Di, thank god that you were not raped!  
What about Seungyoun, was she saved, too?  
Who saved you both, anyway?  
And who the hell was that criminal customer and his pervert guests?!  
I hope he is rotten in jail, by now!  
Sorry, Bo-Di, for always ruining your shirt, ha, ha.", Zhan tried to laugh between tears, while dusting the wet spot from Yibo's collar, and wiping his running nose with the back of his palm.

Yibo opened his arms and pulled his friend at his chest:  
"The hell with the shirt, come back here, in my arms, you big crying baby, everything is alright, I'm here safe and sound, am I not?  
Sadly, Seungyoun's life took a different path from mine.  
Oh god, I could have saved her!   
If only I could have told her sooner, that I forgive her!  
But let me tell you first, what it was actually standing behind that whole party concept.  
I was hired once by a venerable 72 years old lady to accompany her daughter as her fake date to a family wedding. She explained to me that her daughter went through an ugly divorce that got her very depressed and sick in the end. Sick, meaning, literally sick, mentally sick.  
She tried to get suicide several times, but what was even more disturbing, especially for her poor old mother, was that her deranged daughter tried to harm other persons, than herself.  
Yes, Zhan Zhan, I suppose you have already figured out that the crazy daughter is same demented woman who threatened you with that stupid gun of hers, Miss Yang Liu!

I liked her mother and felt very pity for her, she was a nice, warm lady, reminding me so much about my own mom.  
That's why I accepted the job she hired me for, to accompany her daughter and take care about her safety, during the wedding party.

Everything went well, just that nobody could have ever predicted what has happened after that cursed wedding party.   
The mentally deranged woman developed a sick obsession over me, believing in her sick mind that I am her lover for real, whom she owns and who is in love with her.  
Sometimes in her illness, she experiences few minutes of lucidity.  
During one of those times, she found out about whom I really am, a luxury escort, and strangely, she got even more mad!  
Just that, now, she got mad from jealousy...she got even more insane at the thought of her supposed lover, being with someone else than herself...and she wanted revenge!  
Revenge on me, for the guilt of getting unfaithful to her.  
Therefore she organized the rape group party I told you about.

Luckily, her mother found out from one of her loyal servants, and the old lady saved me.

I say she saved me, without mentioning Seungyoun for a reason.  
The reason is that I found out much later, that Seungyoun was working for Yang Liu, in this whole conspiracy.   
Yes, my best friend, my soulmate, my savior angel, sold me to the crazy woman, I don't even know in exchange of what, and I don't care to know! 

Yang Liu's mother bought my freedom from the escorts organization and took me under her protection.  
I was treated almost like her own flesh and blood son.  
She took care not only about my daily life necessities, but took care about my education, too, by sending me to school.  
Everything under one single condition, for me to promise her that I would take care for her daughter's safety, after the lady's death. Because the old lady Yang Annchi's heart was very weak and she was afraid that she would die soon.  
Thing that happened for real...sadly.

I will shorten my story, Zhan Zhan, as we have only five minutes more to the landing.

When I found out about Seungyoun's treachery, of course that I cut her from my life and didn't want to see her ever again.  
She was extremely hurt, maybe not only because of my attitude, but maybe her guilty conscience was hurting her even more.  
One night she just jumped from the Jade Belt Bridge, and died!  
I should have given her my forgiveness...she was just an unfortunate soul, who struggled to survive in this cruel world she was born in...and I didn't give her any chance to keep surviving!   
I killed her, too, not only the cruel world!"

It was Zhan's turn, now, to pull his distressed friend into his embrace:  
"Bo Bo, no, you didn't kill her!  
It was her fate, you could have done nothing to change it, please Bo Bo, don't hurt yourself with putting this blame on yourself!  
Remember that you loved your mother even more than you loved Seungyoun, and your mother wants you to be happy, not hurt!  
Now, thinking about it, I'm sure that your best friend would want you to be happy, too!  
I might be wrong, but I could figure out now, why you do want to get married and just run away!  
Run away not only from China, but run away of your complicated past, of your dangerous present, run away of Miss Yang Liu!  
Am I right?"

~TO BE CONTINUED~


	13. 08 "Shuangxi" Hotel -chapter completed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: As a result of the slight internet research I did, I share here some useful infos, not only for understanding better certain parts of this chapter , but take it simply as an interesting information👇
> 
> ~Number 4 <四, SÌ) - UNLUCKY> is well known to be an unlucky number because 四 sounds similar to 死 (sǐ), which means "death" in Chinese. People will go to extremes based on superstitions of the number 4. In China, the presence of the number 4 is avoided in most public settings; in addition to elevator buttons, addresses, ID numbers, phone numbers, license plates, and product names will usually omit the number 4 for fear of being attached to bad luck. Houses and apartments that have 4 in the address number will sell for much less than ones without. Mentioning the number four to an ill family member is considered to be highly offensive, and giving anything with 4 on it to someone can be seen as a death threat.
> 
> ~Number 6 <六, LIÙ) - LUCKY> is generally considered to be lucky in China because 六 sounds like 流 (liú), which means "flow" in Chinese. Many businesses display the number 6 to bring good fortune. Unlike in western culture where 666 is associated with the devil, multiples of 6 is good in Chinese culture. A popular Chinese idiom, 六六大顺 (liù liù dà shùn), means that things will go smoothly.
> 
> ~Number 520 <(wǔ èr líng)> is used for 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), which means " I love you" in Chinese. Sometimes Chinese people prefer texting this to each other as opposed to saying the phrase, "I love you."
> 
> ~Number 1314 <(yī sān yī sì)> represents 一生一世 (yī shēng yī shì), which literally translates to "one life one world". This is often combined with 520 to get 5201314, or “I love you forever”.
> 
> ~Number 1020 means LOVE:  
> 1 = L  
> 0 = O  
> 2 = 2 fingers in a ✌️ "V" sign  
> 0 = when you make an 👌 sign, your index and thumb form a zero while the other 3 form an E other readings  
> ~~~  
> for 10:20 (as a time posting, for example):  
> 定爱你 (definitely love you)  
> 要你爱你 (want you, love you)

"Here are your room cards, sirs!  
Mister Wang Yibo, room number 666, located in the East Wing of the sixth floor. It's actually the hotel's best suite, as Missis Emily Qi has stipulated in her mail to our staff.   
And here is the other card, for Mister Xiao Zhan, room number 444, from the West Wing of the fourth floor.  
This would be all, gentlemen, I hope you enjoy your stay at "Shuangxi" Hotel! (A/n:Shuangxi means in Chinese'double happiness' to coincide with the new couple)", the nice receptionist of the hotel smiled professionally to the two guests.

Yibo smiled back, but slid the cards back to the receptionist's hand, as politely as he could:  
"Thank you very much, but...wait!   
We don't need two rooms actually.   
That 'the best suite' is too much, yet we don't want that 444 room, either. I'm not an eery person, still...so many of number 4...don't you have another room, any room, we don't care if it's the tiniest room?"

The receptionist changed her nice attitude into a cold one, mixed with a slight worry:  
"We don't have any other rooms, not in this time of the year.   
Actually the suite is free because it's set aside for the possible unexpected requests from the government officials or from unexpected important businessmen, and room number 444 is kept for the staff that might accompany them. It's a spacious room with four beds and everything necessary, Mister Xiao Zhan shouldn't be worried about the comfort.  
Please, Mister Wang Yibo, do accept the rooms, please don't get me in trouble with our CEO, with boss Emily Qi, I really need this job!"

Zhan stepped in their small dispute:  
"Don't worry, miss, the rooms are fine, you can inform the CEO that we took them, and please tell Miss Emily Qi that we are both very grateful for her kindness.  
Bo Bo, you shouldn't worry about your nightmares, we will take both cards, while we can use only one of the rooms.  
No matter which one, the unlucky 444 or even the devilish 666 one, ha, ha, ha.   
I'm equally as American as a Chinese, but I don't give a damn about this kind of superstition, and you should ignore it, too.  
Thank you miss, let's go Bo Di!"

They decided to check out, firstly, the devil's suite, not because they would choose the best room, but mostly out of curiosity for the place, the country's VIP people would stay in. 

Zhan walked in, followed closely by Yibo.   
He was hit hard by the outstanding luxury of the suite, manifestly starting from the vestibule already:  
"Woah, this is too much, just look at that hand painted chandelier, and it's only the vestibule!  
I don't even think that I could feel comfortable enough in this pretentious environment...

"Bo Di, seems like we got into the wrong room.  
I'm sorry, we apologize, miss, for disturbing you!  
We should have double checked the room's number,before just barging in, so, so sorry!", Zhan bowed, walking backward until he bumped into Yibo's chest.   
But then, he figured out that it was not the wrong room, but just his wrong assumption that the room could come without a payment...  
A payment that he feels that it will displease him...displease him to the core...

"Em?  
What are you doing here?", Yibo mumbled from behind him.

The woman jumped up and pulled Yibo to sit next to her, on the bed:  
"What kind of question is this?  
Why am I here?  
Isn't this obvious?  
Because I've missed my prince, my charming White Peony, I've missed you like crazy!  
How long is it since you and I sat like this, in the same bedroom, on the same bed?  
I will never understand why on earth you left the main branch of the business?"

When the woman tried to grab his hand, Yibo removed her hand and stood up hastily:  
"Em, please, don't!  
Didn't I take goodbye from you, that last time?  
As you said, I don't do THAT anymore,I can be rented only as a companion to the client, for diverse parties, gatherings or whatever, nothing more.   
Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough when we talked on the phone.  
I asked for this favor from you, from a friend, not from a client.  
But maybe I was wrong thinking that we could ever be friends, sorry, my mistake.  
Zhan-Ge, let's leave!"

"Yeah, let's leave!", Zhan replied happily.

But the woman planted herself between them and the bedroom door, blocking them from leaving:  
"No, no!  
You don't have to leave, you can't leave!  
I'm sorry for acting foolishly, of course that you have in me a friend!  
I just missed you too much!"

"Em, we want to leave, please allow us!  
Okay, you know me, you know that I'm a clever guy. And also you know that I know you!  
You are a successful business woman, you work, live and breath PROFIT!  
And I can tell that you do want something from me!  
Spill it out, but I warn you once again that the sex is out of the question!", Yibo started to get slightly annoyed and to graddually rise his voice. 

"No sex, I promise!  
But can we talk alone, for a few moments, without your friend?", the woman meowed, annoying Zhan, too, with her obvious intention to seduce Yibo with her way of speaking. 

"Bo Di, let's leave, a room to sleep in, is just not worth it!  
Miss Baoshan might give us help, and if not, we can sleep on the beach or something!", Zhan grabbed Yibo's wrist.

"You are not just a random stupid flower boy, you are the intelligent White Peony, that's why I suggest you to...  
I give you one last chance and ask you one last time, can we talk alone, without him?", Emily Qi started to get angry. 

"No, we can't!  
Just say it, whatever you want, I don't have secrets from Zhan Ge!", Yibo shouted back, while trying to move the woman away from the door, but without using aggression.

"Really? Not even the mail-order husband secret, huh?  
Zhan-Ge, did you know that about your friend?  
But what I am curious about, even more, is if our mutual friend, Missis Yang Liu, knows about this so-called secret of yours, or no, ha, ha, ha?", the woman laughed arrogantly, giving cold chills along Yibo's spine.

"Alright, Missis Emily Qi, you had your fun, that's enough with the playing!  
Tell me, what do you want in exchange for your silence!  
The 'no sex' is still on, though!", Yibo spoke coldly, after managing to compose himself after the previous shock.

After the woman tiptoed to reach Yibo's ear and whispered something, Zhan gasped in shock at Yibo's reply:  
"Alright Emily Qi, you can have it...of course only after you'll give me a written and signed agreement, that if I will do my part of the contract, you will do your part, too, meaning to keep my secret only to yourself!  
And I also have one extra condition!  
I will do it only if you accept it in Zhan Ge's presence.  
Yes, I want him to accompany us, I want him to watch us!"

"WHAAAT??!!!!!", both Xiao Zhan and Emily Qi shouted in the same voice.

  
"No, no, Bo-Di, please don't do it!  
Everything will be alright, we will figure it out, I will help, Zoey will help, anyone no matter who will help, please, no need for this!", Zhan grabbed Yibo's shoulders and started to shake him in desperation.

Emily Qi watched in confusion the usually cold hearted White Peony, converting into a melted puddle of softness when hugged his friend, while wiping his cheeks soaked by tears:  
"Don't worry Zhan Ge, it's not what you would think it is, please trust me!  
I need to solve this, and I will, but only with your help.  
Now, go ahead and wait for me at the hotel's cafe, I will meet you there in five.  
Me and missis Emily Qi, we have a document to take care of it.  
Go Zhan Zhan, and do not cry anymore, please!"


	14. 09 Questions...

When Yibo opened the door of the hotel's cafe, he was surprised at the overly crowded place, filled to the maximum with tourists.

"This looks more like a club, than a cafe!", he mumbled while trying to protect his eyes from the blinding stroboscopic light and his ears from the overly loud music.

He finally spotted in a corner, the man sitting on his suitcase, as there were no more free tables.  
 _"Just look at him, swinging his legs like a kid and sipping from his orange juice, all pure and innocent!  
And, you, Wang Yibo, you are the jerk about to ruin that purity, by asking him to...  
I'm sorry Zhan Zhan, but I have to do this, and simply can't make it through, without your help!"_

After more than an hour, Xiao Zhan finally gave in and accepted Wang Yibo's weird request, even though he didn't understand what could be the logic behind.  
The only argument that had him convinced was that the crazy Yang Liu's money was powerful enough to push Yibo in a very big trouble, causing not only obstructing him from leaving the country, but maybe even getting him arrested for who knows what guilt.

"But I still think that we should look for another place to stay in!  
Are you sure that she will not gonna come again with who knows what other request to bother you with, if staying in her hotel? After all she is the almighty CEO.", he sighed.

Yibo locked Zhan's free hand between his palms, while decreasing the distance between their faces...Just because the music was too damn loud, not because he was fascinated with the multicolored stroboscopic lights dancing on those glowing lips, humid from the orange juice...No, no, not because of that, not at all!

"No, don't worry about that, she mentioned that she has to take a flight to Japan at 4AM I think, where she is needed for ten days or so.  
She wouldn't have bothered us...me, anyway, after getting her desire accomplished.   
I know Emily Qi, she is the heartless bitch type of businesswoman, who would step on corpses to get the deal she wants, but also a correct businesswoman. When the deal would be done on her liking, she would never break her part of the agreement.  
Besides, we don't have time, anyway, to look for another place to stay, as we have only two more hours to get ready. You know, to take a shower, to get dressed.  
I suggest we should accommodate us in the other room, that with four beds, if it's alright with you.  
Ermm, I don't want to stay in the suite, not because it's too fancy, but because I don't want to sleep with you in a bed where she marked her territory.   
To sleep with you, ha, ha, I didn't mean to sound like that, ha, ha.  
Let's go, Zhan Zhan.", Yibo grabbed his suitcase, while keep laughing awkwardly.

_When did he start to call him so casually as Zhan Zhan, not Zhan Ge, anyway?_

-000-

It was a little after midnight, when the first part of the odd agreement was finished to accomplish.  
Part of the agreement consisted of White Peony to accompany Missis Emily Qi to a party organized by the Company's leadership for some important American investors.   
Thus Xiao Zhan's presence was not questioned by anyone, the CEO lady introducing him as her translator needed for the interaction with the foreign guests.

"I still don't understand why you returned the suite card to the hotel receptionist.  
Especially that it's for free. Not as the room you chose wouldn't be similarly great.  
Other guests would offer their soul in exchange of getting this location, but hey, it's your choice.  
Oh, wait, why am I stupid? Of course that there is a legit reason, the suite has only one bed, and even though it's a huge king size bed, you two didn't want to share the same bed, ha, ha.", the CEO lady laughed, while walking inside the suite lobby, followed by White Peony.

"Just go ahead, I have promised, didn't I?  
I...I just need a minute.", Zhan fidgeted nervously at Yibo's worried glance when noticing that he was hesitant to step inside. 

Yibo told the woman to go ahead for getting prepared, then turned back to the distressed   
man from outside the door.   
He squeezed his hand comfortingly, before pulling him into a short, yet strong hug:  
"Just take your time, and please Zhan Zhan, do not worry about me or about anything.  
It will be over soon, and right after, everything will be alright."

When Yibo entered the bedroom, the woman was standing in front of the huge wall mirror, fixing her makeup.   
"Weren't you wearing something else, a blue long dress, if I'm not wrong?", Yibo rolled his eyes, while pointing to the woman's summary outfit, consisting from a tiny undervest and a small lace petticoat.

Emily Qi walked towards White Peony, swaying her hips and showing off her long bare legs perched on some really high red stilettos.  
She started to unbutton Yibo's suit jacket and his shirt, speaking in seductive meows:  
"Awww, my beautiful White Peony, don't you think that it's too hot in here?  
Wouldn't it be slightly unpleasant to kiss while being all sweaty?  
Not as I would have any complaint to see your naked body getting sweaty...argh, I would even lick you clean, if you would let me.  
You know, same as in the old, beautiful times."

White Peony stepped aside for grabbing the AC remote and placed it in the woman's hand:  
"You can use this for adjusting the desired temperature, if you think that it's too hot in here.  
Em, please, for the sake of those old times you were talking about, just please don't humiliate yourself anymore!  
Just resume yourself at being the professional and respectful businesswoman you always were and still are.  
Let's just proceed with our agreement.  
If you want to do it while sitting, just choose where to sit, on bed, chairs, or sofa, or maybe you want us to stand...   
Anyways, I'm going to bring Zhan Ge in."

The main door was slightly ajar.  
 _"Thank god, he didn't leave!  
Even though I can see how anxious he is, from the way his small 'bunny paw'-like hand is gripping the door frame."_, Yibo sighed, hurrying to the distressed man.  
He took his hand in his and interlaced tightly their fingers, whispering:  
"Please Zhan Zhan come inside, if not for me, at least do it for your best friend Miss Meng.   
If Yang Liu would ever find out about my plans, I would never be able, not only to get married, but I would be forbidden to leave China, ever, for my whole life time.  
She threatened me, not only once, that I'd be arrested for prostitution practice if I'd ever trying to run away from her."

Yibo flinched when Zhan abruptly removed his hand from his.  
The coldness from his eyes and his voice while speaking to him, gave Yibo frozen chills along his spine:  
"Wang Yibo, I always keep my promises, of course that I will come with you and do what you asked me to do!  
But before that, I have something to say, too.  
Firstly, I want you to promise me that you'll give me an honest explanation for your weird request for me.  
And secondly, Wang Yibo, I'm sorry, but I can't agree anymore with the marriage thingy.  
Why?  
I'm sorry, but I can't tell you my reason, I just simply can't!  
Now, let's go and get over with this craziness!  
Missis CEO might get impatient, also you might catch a cold with all those unbuttoned clothes!"

Yibo shivered, and not because of his unbuttoned shirt.  
He'd never seen his bubbly Gege, who was always a ball of smiling sunshine, so cold and so sad as he was now...And this was breaking his heart:  
"I understand, Zhan Zhan!  
Who in their right mind would recommend to his best friend an escort to become her possible husband, an escort who we can say that he would prostitute himself right before that person's eyes?  
Anyway, I promise that I will tell you very honestly, why I asked you to do this.  
Because I have finally understood that..." 

"C'mon boys, what are you two doing out there?  
It's getting late and I have a flight to catch!", Emily Qi shouted.

Yibo followed Zhan silently, watching him as he entered the bedroom, greeted politely the woman that was sitting on the bed.   
He placed a chair at a small distance from the woman's position and sat down.  
"I'm ready, you can start whenever you're ready, too.", he spoke in a strangled voice, focusing his teary eyes on his hands that were squeezing desperately his trembling knees.

Thousands of claws were clenching Yibo's heart while watching the sitting man:  
 _"Why is he so hurt?  
Is it because of his best friend?  
Why am I so hurt?  
Am I, because of my best friend, whom I am hurting right now?  
Because yes, Zhan Zhan is my best friend, my only friend...  
Am I about to lose this friend?  
Am I about to lose him?"_

In his way to take a seat next to the impatient woman, Yibo passed by Zhan's chair.  
He squeezed his shoulder and bent to whisper in his ear:  
"Zhan Zhan, it will take just a few minutes and it will be over.  
I know it's irksome and I'm sorry for that, but please, I need you to look at me, I need to see your beautiful eyes."

"Okay, I will.  
Don't worry anymore, I'm fine, we will be fine.", Zhan murmured, squeezing back Yibo's hand placed onto his shoulder.

Emily Qi snapped them out from their little bubble, by coughing and speaking loudly:  
"Ehem, ehem, what a hell is going on between you two?  
You said it's about to pay off a bet to your friend or something, that's why he will watch us...But, hmmm, I don't know what to think anymore.  
Should he not be cheerful and entertained, if it's about a bet, a prank or whatever?  
Why are his eyes so sad?  
And you, my cold, insensitive Peony, why are you getting so emotional whenever talking with him?"

Yibo winked at Zhan while giving his shoulder one last squeeze, then plopped himself next to the woman, like a sack of potatoes:  
"Em, don't bother your pretty head with these kinds of problems that you have no interest in, anyway.  
Let's better get the work done, you have a flight to catch, don't you?" 

"Oh, I'm happy that you still find my head pretty...ahhh!", the woman gasped when White Peony grabbed her harshly by her nape and locked their lips together, without further ado.

Emily Qi wrapped her arms around Yibo's neck, getting completely immersed into the oh-so desired French kiss that no one could have with White Peony.

All of his customers were informed beforehand about this rule of the famous and popular escort: he would never use his tongue when kissing a client or having sEx with her.  
That's why when Emily Qi was informed by a friend about White Peony's registration on that Mail-order site, she has instantly planned how to grab this opportunity, and satisfy her ego, by being the only person in this world who would French kissing with the unreachable White Peony.

Yibo clenched his fingers in the woman's hair, as to be able to guide her head, so that he could have a clear view of the man from the chair, while kissing.  
Seeing for real those big, beautiful eyes and those luscious lips, was helping his brain to work, his body as well.   
He was able to imagine that it was Zhan Zhan whom he was French kissing, and that way he could deliver his part of the agreement. 

While watching Yibo's teeth biting onto the woman's lip and his tongue going in and out from her mouth, Xiao Zhan's eyes were brimming with tears, and his heart was bleeding.   
_Why did Yibo ask him to...Why is he torturing him like that?  
But, wait, why would Yibo think that for Zhan it is painful to watch him kissing someone, anyway? Maybe because Xiao Zhan is the best friend of Zoey, Yibo's possible future wife?  
No, the reason behind Wang Yibo's request should be other than to torture him, but what could be that reason?_

_And why are Yibo's eyes so full of sadness, while locking them with Zhan's teary ones?  
After all he must be enjoying the kiss, judging by the muffled moans reaching Zhan's ears. Moans elicited not only by Emily Qi..._

_Probably Yibo was sad because Zhan told him that he will not support him anymore in getting married to Zoey.  
Yeah, this must be!_

-000-

Xiao Zhan was so drowned in the stormy sea of questions, that he didn't even notice that the kissing action had been halted.  
He just gasped in surprise at Emily Qi's strong hands grabbing him by his shoulders and pulling him up from the chair.   
He, then, was pushed harshly by the woman, to lay onto his back, next to the not lesser shocked Wang Yibo.

"Emily Qi, what the hell are you doing?  
The agreement...I didn't sign...what a?!  
Leave him out of this!", Yibo shouted, the shock strangling his voice, especially when the woman pushed him too, to lay next to Zhan.

Then she squeezed herself between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's advice: Don't panic, just wait patiently for the next update!


End file.
